Desires And Destiny
by Ennarre
Summary: "How can you break all your promises?" "You forced me to." "Was the love we had a joke to you?" "No, but it certainly was a joke to you." Sequel to 'Fate Or Destiny' and 'Definitely Destiny'. Co-written with CrazyKitCat. Read and Review! ON HIATUS FOR A WHILE. (Sorry readers, We'll get back to writing as soon as we can. Promise.)
1. Chapter 1

**Hey everybody! And I am baaaackkkk! =D Seriously, how can I resist writing when I have such amazing readers? So, here is it - the third (and final) installment of the Destiny Trilogy.**

**NOTE: **

**To the old readers, welcome back! :D  
><strong>**To the new readers: This is the final installment of a series of 3 stories. If you wish to understand this better, please read 'Fate Or Destiny?' and 'Definitely Destiny' first.**

**THE MOST IMPORTANT NOTE:**

**This story does not belong to me alone. I will be co-writing it with CrazyKitCat. Cat, thank you soooo much for agreeing to write this with me and thank you for the interesting contributions in this chapter. I hope we have a blast giving our readers an amazing story! :D**

**Disclaimer: Narnia does not belong to us!**

**.**

**Desires and Destiny**

**Chapter 1**

**.**

With a sigh, the Lord of Daelhr lay on his back and stared at the dark sky. A few stars twinkled here and there, but clouds dominated. He closed his eyes, trying to ignore the exhaustion. His body ached and he was tired. Perhaps it was not smart to tour the city, work, pack and then leave for Cair all in one day.

But it didn't matter. Not anymore. Cair was just about two hours ride away and he just wanted to jump on his horse and gallop away until the palace came into sight.

Of course, his guards thought that the party should wait till dawn. He had tried to argue with them, but Kayla – who hated riding – had silenced him with one glare.

_Well_, he thought to himself, _It has been months. I guess I can wait a few more hours._

And he smiled as he pictured the Valiant Queen in his mind. Beautiful, smart, caring – probably dressed in one of her pink gowns, with her hair hanging loose and her brown eyes twinkling with excitement.

_Oh Aslan,_ He thought, _Please let it be dawn soon!_

"My lord."

"Philip," Chad acknowledged without even opening his eyes.

"Dinner is ready."

"I'm not hungry."

"But –"

"I'm fine, Philip," Chad opened his eyes to see a tall, broad shouldered man, in his late twenties looming over him. (**A/N:** Link to the picture in profile) "You can eat."

"Chad," Kayla said from somewhere behind Philip. "Join us for the meal and stop mooning about your girlfriend."

"I'm not mooning over anyone," Chad snapped, getting up and walking over to the campfire where a couple of the guards had prepared a soup. He turned to them. "You all should eat too. We can self-serve."

They bowed their heads in respect and sat down in a circle nearby.

"Sure, sure," Kayla smiled, picking up an empty bowl.

"Now, now Lady Kayla," Philip smiled, "You should not tease your brother."

"Exactly," Chad nodded.

"Besides, a little bit of daydreaming does _no_ harm at all," Philip said, chuckling.

Grunting, Chad walked past the two of them, to the other side of the campfire.

"May I sit with you?" he asked the woman before him.

Alianna, Philip's younger sister, who had been staring blankly at the ground, looked up, startled. Slowly she nodded and scooted away to give him space to sit.

He did, glaring at his sister and friend who were sitting across from him.

"I don't see why you're getting so angry," Philip commented, tossing a piece of bread into his mouth. "You have nothing to be angry about, unless you really _were_ thinking of her and we caught you red-handed."

"Shut up, Philip."

"Did I say something wrong?" the boy asked, a cocky smile on his face as he turned to Kayla.

"Not at all," she replied.

"Philip," Lord Demetrius, Chad's counselor, glared at his son. "Stop it."

"But father –"

"Stop it," He turned to Chad. "Forgive him, milord. He doesn't know when to stop."

Chad smiled, shaking his head. "It's alright. It has become a habit of him to team up with my sister and annoy me."

Just then a bowl filled with steaming stew entered his vision. He blinked and turned to see Alianna holding it out to him. He took it, politely thanking her.

"You're welcome, milord," she spoke in a soft, low voice before picking up a bowl for herself.

"See, Philip," Chad said, pointing towards Alianna, "I like her. Unlike you, she is well-mannered."

Philip chuckled. "That is because you've not heard her speak."

"Philip!" Alianna looked up.

"What?" Philip shrugged. "Did I say something wrong?"

"Not at all," she got up. "Excuse me, but I think I will eat my dinner in my tent. Good night."

And she walked away.

"Apparently, you _did_ say the wrong thing," Chad commented.

Philip groaned. "Women!"

"Go apologize to her," Demetrius told him.

"But father –"

"Philip," Demetrius said. "Listen to me and stop being mean to your sister."

"Fine," Philip picked up his bowl and excused himself, following his sister.

"Sorry about that," Demetrius smiled. "They are old enough to get married, but they just don't grow up."

Chad laughed. "It's alright."

"And Philip really irritates you."

"He's a friend," Chad shrugged.

"Indeed."

They ate in silence for a while.

"It was very kind of the Kings and Queens to invite me," Demetrius said.

"You would have accompanied me anyways," Chad shrugged. "You're my counselor."

"Yes, but they invited my family too," Demetrius said.

"They just like you all," Kayla said indifferently.

"They have just met us a few times," Philip said.

"They must like you all, then." Kayla repeated.

"They're very kind then," Demetrius bowed his head. "I didn't think they would trust me ever again."

Chad stiffened. "Past is past, Demetrius. Let us not talk about it."

"… Of course, milord." He paused. "I just hope we won't be much of a burden on them."

"I don't think you will be," Chad told him. "Susan loves guests."

**[][][][][][][][]**

Lucy looked up from the book she was reading when the horns sounded, announcing the arrival of the Lord of Daelhr. A smile lit up her face as she jumped off her bed and rushed to the window.

She saw a few horses came to stop in the courtyard. She could see the other monarchs waiting to greet the guests. The guards assisted the women in getting off and a few servants move to unload the lugguage.

But Lucy was not seeing that. Her eyes were fixed on the man who got off the brown mare. Petting the horse, he handed the reins to the stable boy nearby and turned to the monarchs, a smile on his face.

Just looking at him made her heart skip a beat.

Lucy turned and was about to rush out of the room when she noticed her reflection in the mirror. She was still wearing her nightgown – she had been too lazy to get dressed – and her hair was a mess – again, because of the laziness.

She groaned and stomped towards her wash chambers, clearly annoyed with her laziness and with the fact that the guests were early.

About fifteen minutes later, the Valiant Queen was walking down the hallway dressed in a simple floor length gown of pink and her hair tied into a braid.

"I'm sorry I'm late," she said, walking into the Entrance Hall where the guests were standing along with the monarchs and took her place next to the High King.

Chad turned to look at her. "It's alright, my queen," he said, inclining his head in respect.

She smiled at him before turning to the others. "Kayla!" she exclaimed, hugging the girl. "I've missed you."

"And I you," Kayla hugged her back.

"Demetrius, Philip," Lucy smiled. "It's good to see you. And you too, Alianna."

"Likewise," Alianna smiled.

"Indeed," Philip took her hand and kissed it.

She couldn't help but grin. "Always the gentleman, Philip?"

"_Always_, my queen."

"Good."

"You all must be tired," Susan said. "How about you all go to your rooms and freshen up and then we can have breakfast together?"

"Sounds great," Chad said.

"Great, I can show you your rooms," Susan smiled. "Follow me please."

With that Susan left with all her guests trailing behind her, except Chad, who was busy looking at the Valiant Queen.

"Where is Isabel?" Lucy asked Caspian.

"She just left," the King explained. "Patrick was crying. The boy won't leave her alone for a minute!"

Lucy chuckled.

"Chad," Peter said. "Do you not wish to see your room?"

Chad smiled awkwardly. "Umm, I know which guest room is mine."

"Do you, now?"

"I've had the same room since five years."

"How do you know that a different room has not been prepared for you?"

Chad frowned. "Have you prepared a different room for me?"

"No."

Lucy rolled her eyes. "Peter, don't you have work to do?"

"I do."

"Then you should leave."

"I will," Peter took a step towards Chad. "But behave."

With that, the High King turned on his heels and walked away.

"I'll never get tired of seeing your face after you talk to Pete," Edmund chuckled and wrapped his arm around Adeline's shoulders. "Let's go. He won't try anything."

Adeline rolled her eyes but agreed.

Caspian smiled sympathetically and patted Chad's shoulder. "I understand how you feel."

"You do," Chad nodded.

"It won't last forever."

"I hope so."

Caspian chuckled and walked away too.

"So…" Lucy said slowly.

"So?" Chad turned towards her.

"Do you want me to show you your room?"

He smiled. "That would be great."

As they walked down the hallway, Lucy slipped her hand in his. "I've missed you."

"Me too," he squeezed her hand. "More than you can imagine."

"I know." she sighed.

"But I'm here now. We're together."

"You're here only for a couple of weeks." Lucy sighed. "And you'll go back again."

"I have to."

"I wish you could stay in Cair all the time."

Chad opened the door to the guest chambers. She stepped in first and he followed. "You know I can't. I have too much work, too many duties back in Daelhr and I –"

"I know, Chad," Lucy said. She paused to look into his green eyes. "I just hate being away from you."

He blinked in understanding and leaned forward, placing his lips on hers. He kissed her, deeply, and she responded, wrapping her arms around her neck.

"I love you, Lucy," Chad said, pulling away as he rested his forehead against hers.

"I love you too," she said, almost breathless.

The two remained silent for a few moments, simply enjoying each other's company. Then –

"You should rest," Lucy said.

"Okay."

"Breakfast will be served after two hours."

"Okay." He pulled her close.

"How about we take a stroll in the gardens after the breakfast?" Lucy suggested. "Just you and me."

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"I have a meeting with Peter and Caspian."

"Oh, yeah, I forgot about it."

"How about the evening?" he asked.

"I can't," she replied. "Susan is having a ball next week and she will not let me breathe until I help her in choosing the decorations."

"Oh."

Her face lit up. "You can come with us."

"What?"

"Yes, I mean you can help me and Susan in deciding. That way, we'll be done sooner and then we can spend some time alone."

He made a face. "I'll pass."

"Don't be ridiculous. It won't be that bad."

"But –"

"Please," Lucy said, moving her face closer to his.

"Don't seduce me," he said, kissing her softly.

"Please?"

He sighed. "If it is boring, I'll kill you."

She laughed. "You won't."

"I won't," he admitted, "but I'll act like I want to."

"Deal."

**[][][][][][][][]**

Later that afternoon, after having been tortured by the ball preparations, Chad found himself being dragged through the marketplace by Lucy. Their destination was the dress shop where Lucy was planning on picking up the gown she had ordered for the ball.

They weren't being accompanied by any guards, which Chad found weird, but Lucy assured him that it was alright since she had her dagger and he, his sword.

Just as they were leaving the dress shop, a tall young man ran up to them. "Milady!" he called, panting slightly, his hazel colored eyes on Lucy. (**A/N:** Link to the picture in profile)

Chad jumped to action and blocked the Valiant Queen from the strange man.

"Chad-" Lucy said, a smile on her lips, as she placed a calming hand on his shoulder, "It's alright. This is my private guard, Harry."

"Oh," Chad said, stepping forward to shake Harry's hand, "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise," Harry said, shaking the Lord's hand with a firm grip.

"Harry, what are you doing here?" Lucy said, stepping forward and placing her hand on his arm to get his attention.

"Milady, all of your guards are looking for you," he said.

"But why? I told you that I would be walking down to the dress shop with Chad." Lucy asked, bewildered.

"Um…High King Peter was looking for you?" Harry answered, asking more of a question then answering one.

"Looking for me, or looking for Chad?" Lucy asked, smiling.

"Both," Harry said meekly.

Lucy rolled her eyes.

Harry chuckled. "You know your brother cannot leave you alone, Lucy."

Chad blinked when he heard the man address the Queen informally.

"At times I wish he weren't that overprotective."

"He cares." Harry shrugged. "I don't think he is wrong."

"Sure you don't," Lucy said. "You always agree with him."

Chad cleared his throat, trying to wash away the awkwardness of being left out of the conversation. "Well then let us go and see him. He must be waiting."

"Yes, let's," Lucy smiled, lacing her fingers with Chad's as she handed Harry her gown. "I'd like to _talk _to him about his obsession with 'protecting' me."

"What do I do with this, my queen?" Harry asked.

"You're supposed to wear it at the ball next week." Lucy replied, making a face.

Harry held the dress close to his body and looked down. "It will suit me," sarcasm dripped from his voice, "Purple has always been my color."

"Oh, Harry!" Lucy laughed, shoving him away. "Get this to the palace, will you?"

"Sure, milady"

"Shall we?"

"As you wish, milady."

Lucy turned to Chad and with a smile, she pulled him back towards the palace, leaving Harry to fumble with Lucy's dress robes.

* * *

><p><strong>There you go. The first chapter. The links to the pictures of Philip and Harry have been posted in my profile. The current ages of the characters are those of the epilogue - part 3 of Definitely Destiny but I'll post them here again soon.<strong>

**Now, we'll post the next chapter as soon as we're done with it. But until then pleaseeeee do review and let us know what you think about it.**

**Until next time,**

**CrazyKitCat and Ennarre :)**

**Oh and**

**REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey everyone! Here is the next chapter of the story - yes I know it took some time, but ahh busy lives! :P**

**Anyways, we want to thank the amazing reviewers! You all rock!**

**I'll be posting the links to the pictures of the new characters in my profile so do check them out.**

**And now - go on, read and REVIEW!**

**Disclaimer: Narnia does not belong to us.**

* * *

><p><strong>.<strong>

**Desires and Destiny**

**Chapter 2**

**.**

"Hi, Harry," Lucy greeted the young man.

"Milady," Harry inclined his head in respect.

"How many times have I told you to call me Lucy?"

"I've lost count."

She rolled her eyes.

"But I do call you Lucy at times."

"Why at times?"

He shrugged and then looked at her, almost hesitant.

Lucy noticed that. "What is it?"

"Umm, would it be alright if I asked you to dance with me?"

"Of course it would be alright!" Lucy said. "You and I are friends and everyone knows that."

"Well, in that case," Harry held out his hand. "Can I have this dance?"

She took it. "Sure."

"You look beautiful today, my queen."

"Thank you."

They walked to the center of the dance floor in the ballroom that was decorated magnificently – thanks to Susan, without doubt. He placed his hands on her waist and she, on his shoulders.

"So," he said as they began to dance.

"So?"

"So why are you dancing with me and not with that pretty boy you're so much in love with?" Harry asked, nodding his head towards Chad who stood on one side of the ballroom, talking to Irene and laughing over something.

"Don't insult him," she told him.

"I called him pretty," he paused, "Which actually sounds very weird."

She laughed. "It does. And I can hear the sarcasm behind your words."

"Hmm."

"You don't like him." It wasn't a question.

"He is a good person," Harry said. "But I haven't really talked to him enough to make a judgment."

They danced quietly for a short while.

"You still haven't answered my question."

Lucy looked up at him and sighed. "I don't know."

"Did you two have a fight?"

"No," she replied instantly.

"Then what is the matter?" he asked. "I remember you bouncing all over the city with excitement when you heard that he was coming."

"I know," Lucy almost sighed. "It's just that, it has been a week since he came and we haven't had a chance to talk to each other properly."

Harry frowned. "Why not?"

"Because whenever I am free, he is busy and he doesn't like to be disturbed at all during his work," she explained. "And when he is free, I have my duties. It is annoying, really."

"Well you both are at a party right now," Harry pointed out. "And none of you has any duties."

Lucy looked confused. "So?"

"_So_, why are you two not dancing?"

"Because he hasn't asked me to dance yet."

Harry laughed. "And you're waiting for him to ask you."

"… Yes."

"Why don't you ask him?"

"How can I ask him?" Lucy asked. "This is not how it happens."

"Lucy, you're the most unorthodox woman I know."

She looked almost offended.

"Don't take this the wrong way," he quickly explained. "What I meant was that you never care what happens or not. You do what makes you happy and that is what I like about you."

She bit her lip. "You're right."

"I usually am." He agreed.

"Show off," she muttered. "But thanks for the dance."

"Go, get him."

Lucy nodded and walked towards Chad.

"Hi," she said.

His green eyes met her brown ones. "Hi."

"Let's dance."

"You're late."

She frowned.

He pointed towards Irene. "I just promised the princess that I'll dance with her next."

Lucy smiled. "Will you dance with me after that?"

"I'm planning to."

"It's okay," Princess Irene said. "You can dance with Aunt Lucy. We can dance later."

"No," Chad told the little girl. "Aunt Lucy can wait. Right?"

"Sure," Lucy told her niece lovingly. "Dance with him."

"Okay," the princess nodded.

Turning to Chad, the Valiant Queen said, "Find me when you're free."

"I will," he promised.

**[][][][][][][][]**

After the song finished and the little girl walked away after kissing Chad on the cheek, the Lord of Daelhr looked around for Lucy.

He spotted her in the middle of the dance floor, dancing with Harry. She was laughing at something, her head thrown back, her eyes shut, and he was whispering something in her ear, making her laugh even more.

Chad looked away. He hated seeing Lucy so close with someone else.

A week had passed, and whenever Chad had looked around for the Valiant Queen, he had found her with Harry. He saw them talk, laugh, run around, joke around and just have fun. This was something that Lucy and he, Chad, used to do when he used to visit.

He knew he was jealous.

And he knew that he was just being stupid – Lucy loved him and there was nothing going on between her and Harry, but still… Chad couldn't help but be jealous of the fact that Lucy spends a lot of her time with Harry when he, Chad, is in Daelhr.

Even more, now that Chad is in Cair, Lucy _still_ spent most of her time with Harry. Sure, Chad knew he was busy and they rarely had time but…

Deep down, for a second, Chad thought that Harry was very lucky because he lived in the same city as Lucy.

But then the Lord dismissed the thought quickly. He loved Daelhr. Even though he had a dark past in the city, he still loved it.

And he and Lucy will work it out – every relationship has arguments and problems.

Chad walked back to the food table to get himself a glass of wine and glanced back at the Valiant Queen.

He sighed and looked away. He will just ask her to dance when she is done dancing with Harry. As much he hated seeing her with him, she seemed to be having fun and he wanted her to be like that - happy and content.

"Are you enjoying the evening, milord?"

Chad turned to see Demetrius standing nearby. "… Yes. And you?"

The man shrugged. "The arrangements couldn't be better."

Chad looked at the man in his early fifties before him. His hair had grayed from the sides, but his dark, intelligent eyes and his mannerisms gave him a charming personality. (**A/N:** Link to the picture in the profile) "You look good, Demetrius."

Demetrius chuckled. "Thank you, milord."

"Perhaps you'll find out that many women here are interested in you."

A small, sad smile touched Demetrius' face. "No, milord," he shook her head. "I don't look for any other woman. Thea was and always will be the one."

Thea, wife of Demetrius and mother of Philip and Alianna, had passed away a long time ago, he didn't know how. Chad had never met the woman but had heard only well about her.

"You miss her," Chad said quietly.

"Every day and every night," Demetrius told him. "But I'm happy. I have my children and they remind me of her. They are all I need."

Chad nodded in agreement, a small smile on his face. "Where is Philip?"

"Where do you think?"

"Flirting with maidens?"

"You know him well."

Chad chuckled. "He is my friend. Of course I know him," he paused to sip his drink. "And Alianna?"

"She must be around here somewhere."

"Oh."

"I worry about her."

Chad raised an eyebrow. "How come?"

Demetrius shrugged. "It's a father type of thing. You won't get it."

"Try me."

The man was quiet for a while. "I think she is not happy with her life."

"What makes you say that?"

"I don't know; I just worry about her."

Chad frowned, but chose to remain quiet. This was not an issue for him to poke his nose it. It was a matter of Demetrius and his family.

"Is that Bayard?" Demetrius asked, pointing at a man at the far end of the hall.

"I guess so. Why?"

"The man owes me."

Chad raised an eyebrow. "He does?"

"I won a bet." Demetrius said. "Now, if you will excuse me, I think I will go annoy him until he pays me."

Chad laughed and wished him good luck. Then the Lord randomly looked around the hall when he spotted Lady Alianna. Dressed in a simple gown of light brown, the younh woman was sitting at one of the empty tables, her blonde hair falling freely on her back. (**A/N:** Link to the picture in the profile). She was staring absently at the floor, playing with a lock of her hair.

He walked over to her. "Why are you sitting alone when there is a party that you could be enjoying?" he asked.

She looked up. "I don't know."

"May I?" he motioned towards an empty chair before her.

"Sure."

He took a seat.

"Why are you sitting with me when _you_ could be enjoying the party too?" she asked in a low voice.

"I'm waiting for my turn to dance with the Valiant Queen."

Alianna looked over his shoulder at Lucy and Harry, then back into his green eyes. "Oh."

"May I say something, Alianna?"

She nodded.

"You should stop looking lonely. Your father is worried about you."

"Did he say something?"

"Not really. His eyes speak."

"I'm not lonely, milord. I have a very good family."

"Then what is the problem?"

"Nothing."

He looked at her for a moment before downing his glass of wine and taking her hand.

Startled, she looked at him with wide eyes. "My lord, Chad?"

"Dance with me," he said and pulled her to her feet.

She looked hesitant for a moment. Then – "O-okay."

The two walked to the floor and began swaying to the music with his hands on her waist and hers on his shoulders. Chad noted that Alianna did not talk much, but when she did, it was polite and soft.

"Father would be so happy to see that I am dancing," she said.

"Really?" he asked.

"He wants me to socialize."

"He is right."

"Maybe." She shrugged.

"You have blue eyes," Chad noted sheepishly.

She looked at him as if he was insane. "… Yes."

"Sorry," Chad chuckled, "But I just noticed. Demetrius has black eyes."

"Father tells me I get my eyes from my mother," Alianna said, a hint of sadness to her voice. "So does Philip."

"Oh."

She was quiet for a while. "I never knew her."

"Pardon?"

"I never knew my mother. I killed her."

Chad froze. "What?"

Alianna looked sad. "She died when I was born. She couldn't survive the childbirth."

"I'm sorry."

Alianna looked away.

"It wasn't your fault," Chad told her. "You should not blame yourself for her death."

"Yes, milord."

He knew she didn't listen to him, but only agreed out of respect, but he decided to let it go. "So, have you been tearing anymore dresses, then?" he asked with a teasing grin on his face.

She looked up in his eyes and flushed. "That was an accident," she mumbled, embarrassed.

He laughed. "It was an interesting sight."

"Please, don't remind me of it," she all but moaned.

_It was his third day in the Cair and so far he had not spent any time with Lucy. And he was frustrated. _

Not anymore_, he decided. He will go and drag the Valiant Queen away from the world and they will have a nice walk in the gardens together – just the two of them._

_He knew that Lucy had gone to tour the city that afternoon. _

_Chad stopped and looked out a window. The sun would set in an hour. She should be back soon._

_And sure enough, he saw two horses enter the courtyard. On one of them was Lucy, who was petting her white mare. A man, who Chad recognized as Harry, got off from the other stallion and walked over to Lucy, helping her off. _

_Harry's hands remained on Lucy's waist even after he had helped her off and he said something to her. Lucy laughed and pushed him away, saying something in return._

_She ran off, and he followed her, catching her by the wrist and pulling her close. They talked for a few moments and he let go of her hand, bowing in respect as he stepped away from her._

_Chad walked away, frowning._

_What was going on?_

_The man was supposed to be Lucy's personal guard. And of course, knowing Lucy, Harry would be her friend too, but… they seemed really close. And why would – _

"_Philip, go away!"_

_Chad snapped out of his thoughts when he heard these words and recognized the voice. It was surprising actually to hear Alianna speak so loudly. He had never heard her talk much, let alone shout._

"_Just don't annoy me," this time Alianna's voice was pleading – soft, like always._

"_Fine, I'm going." Philip said, sounding bored. "I have to see father, anyway."_

_Chad rounded the corner to see Philip walking away._

_The Lord of Daelhr took a few steps forward and stopped when he saw Alianna walking out of her room. She seemed to be in a hurry. Stepping out quickly she shut the door and turned._

_Chad noticed that a part of her dress was stuck in the door. He raised his hand and opened his mouth to speak but –_

"_Ouch!"_

_The sound of ripping cloth filled the air followed by a loud thump of Alianna falling to the ground._

_He quickly ran over to her. "Milady, are you alright?"_

_Alianna massaged her head with her hand and looked around, confused. "What happened?"_

"_That happened," Chad pointed to the door._

_Alianna followed his gaze. A part of her dress was stuck to the door. That part was missing from her dress, baring her long legs._

_Blushing furiously, she covered her legs with the remaining of the cloth and looked up at Chad._

_But he was looking at her head. "Are you hurt?"_

"_No."_

_His hands came to her shoulders as he helped her up. "Are you sure?"_

_She nodded slowly. "I'm sorry."_

"_For what, falling?" he asked incredulously._

"_Yes."_

"_You don't have to be sorry for that," he told her. "Why were you in such a hurry?"_

"_Queen Susan invited me for tea and I was getting late, thanks to Philip."_

_He shook her head. "You should be more careful."_

_She looked down at her torn dress and groaned. "I'll be really late now."_

_He looked down too. "You can go like this," he offered, letting go of her. "Just say that it's your new fashionable dress."_

_She laughed lightly._

"_What?" he asked. "You look good."_

_She smiled. "This just looks immodest."_

"_It does," he agreed._

_She blushed again. "Thank you for your help, milord."_

"_You're welcome, Alianna." He paused. "I'll see you around."_

_She nodded._

"_Try not to tear any more dresses, it might prove fatal to you," he joked and without waiting for her reaction, walked away._

"Why not?" he asked, with a laugh.

"Just don't."

"But -"

The song finished at that moment and Alianna stepped back. Bowing her head she mumbled a quick 'thank you' and walked away, leaving the Lord of Daelhr amused.

**[][][][][][][][]**

Chad moved to stand several feet away from Lucy and Harry, waiting for him to leave so he could claim his dance with Lucy. Suppressing his jealousy as he saw Harry kiss the back of her hand before walking away, Chad approached the Valiant Queen.

He bowed and kissed her knuckles himself before he spoke.

"So my queen," he smiled, "Are you able to endure one dance with me?"

"Depends," she teased. "Are you?"

"I'll try," he grinned as a slow song came on and he took Lucy's waist.

Lucy took a step forward and put her head on his left shoulder as her right hand moved into his left hand, her left hand on his shoulder.

"I've missed this," she murmured as they started swaying to the music.

"Me too," he said.

"Really?"

"Of course," he said. "Why do you even ask?"

She shrugged.

They were silent for a few moments.

"So…" Chad began, "Harry seems nice."

"He is," Lucy beamed up at him. "He's a really good friend."

"I can see that," Chad muttered under his breath, but Lucy noticed and pulled her head away from his shoulder to look into his eyes.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Repeat what you said," she ordered.

"You heard it the first time," he said, his voice smooth, "It won't change when I repeat it the second time."

"What was that even _supposed_ to mean?" she asked defensively.

"Nothing," he told her.

"Chad?" her tone left no room for backing out of the conversation.

"He's just kept you so occupied this evening that I haven't had the chance to dance with you," the Lord defended himself.

"You're dancing with me now," she pointed out.

"Yes," he agreed, "_After_ he has danced with you half the night."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Maybe he was just keeping me company as you spent all of your time with Alianna." With that, she stepped back and turned.

He came in her way. "You're not walking away like this."

"Watch me."

"I'm not going to," he pulled her back to him and wrapped his arms around her waist so that it seemed that they were still dancing, "What does Alianna have to do with any of this?" he asked, confused.

"Nothing," Lucy replied, using his previous response.

"It's not 'nothing', Lucy."

She shrugged. "It's just that you two seem really close."

"Please," Chad scoffed. "Anna and I hardly even know each other. We've only spoken twice since we've arrived here in Cair and both times were accidents."

"Oh," Lucy said as she raised her eyebrows, "_'Anna'_ is it?"

"What?"

"Did 'Alianna' become _'Anna'_ the same way 'Lucy' became _'Luce'_?" she questioned.

"Alianna is a mouthful, so I just called her that," Chad said. "And that was just now before you and... _why_ am I even trying to explain this to you?"

"Guilt," she guessed.

"Why would I be guilty?" Chad asked, anger lacing his words. "You are the one who spent the entire evening with Harry instead of me."

"And you're the one who was too busy enjoying the evening with her to come to me," she retorted.

"Lucy, is there any way we could move this conversation outside please?" Chad almost pleaded as he noticed that several people had started looking at them during their argument.

"I don't think so."

"Well, I do."

"No Chad. If all we're going to do is accuse each other of being unfaithful," Lucy said, stepping back once again, "I think I might just go back and see Harry."

With that, she shot one glare in his direction and walked away.

Chad sighed angrily and pressed his fists to his eyes as he left the ballroom, upset.

* * *

><p><strong>There you go. Liked it? Hated it? Comments? <strong>

**The next chapter will be up asap.**

**Until then, thank you for reading,**

**Ennarre and CrazyKitCat**

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	3. Chapter 3

**Oh wow one more update and so soon? You guys are so lucky! ;) ****Don't get used to it though, our exams are coming up and the next update will be after quite a long time... at least 15 days - sorry!**

**Thank you to all the readers and reviewers. Someone asked if you will see more of other characters in this story. Yes, you will. But you have to keep in mind that this story is mainly about Lucy and Chad - so you should not expect large roles when it comes to the others. We'll see what we can do, though.**

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**Disclaimer: Narnia is not mine. Duh!**

**.**

**Desires and Destiny**

**Chapter 3**

**.**

"So what you're saying is that we should not compromise further with these builders?" Chad asked Philip, his eyes fixed on his friend.

"Yes," Philip nodded. "Their demands of raising the labor wages are unjust. The treasury cannot afford it."

"And what of their threats to go on a strike?" Demetrius asked, "Surely we cannot ignore them."

It was afternoon the next day and the three were sitting in Chad's room. Chad did not have any meetings with the monarchs, so he had decided to spend the time working on the internal matters of Daelhr. Even though he was not there, he still had to be in touch with any issues of the city – that was his duty as the governor.

"Exactly," Chad said. "I don't want the city to go in unrest."

"But you've already been so kind to them, Chad," Philip argued. "Most of the workers were unemployed about a year ago. You decided to have these new buildings made in the city and you gave them work. Demanding such a large raise in wage is _not_ the right way to say thank you!"

"It is easy for you to say, Philip," Demetrius said. "You live in a nice house, you have all the food, clothes and facilities you need. Many of these people don't. They need more money to feed their large families."

"I agree with that," Chad spoke up, remembering the old times when he and his family had to go through so many problems due to lack of funds. "I know what money means to them."

"Look Chad," Philip sighed. "If you succumb to their demands, they will demand _more_ in the future, and their demands will not always be just. Besides, what of the people you have employed in other fields? They will want a raise in their wage too."

"You have a point there," Chad admitted. "Accepting their demand would surely cause conflict."

"But we don't want the people to starve and die," Demetrius said.

"No, we don't want that." Chad sighed, massaging his temples with the tips of his fingers. The headache he had had since last night was only increasing.

He had spent the entire night lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling and thinking of his argument with Lucy. He wondered what had gone so wrong and had tried to come up with a solution, to no avail.

And then he had started working in the morning. This was the seventh issue they were discussing. And these discussions had been going for so long. He had thought that they would end, but so far they had only helped in intensifying his migraine.

They were quiet for a moment.

"The growing population is a huge problem," Philip said. "Maybe we should kill half the people in the city and then all these stupid problems will be solved."

Chad smiled slightly. "I don't joke while working, Philip."

"Of course, milord," Philip nodded. "So, what do you think?"

Chad was quiet for a couple of minutes, deep in thought. Then – "The raise they ask for is too much. I cannot give them that without weakening the treasury. Not to mention, over the last couple of months, they have spent more time protesting and demanding than actually working. Considering that, they certainly do not deserve any raise."

"Exactly my poi –" Philip began but Chad silenced him by raising a hand.

"However, I must also agree to the fact that what wages they get are not enough to support a family," the Lord of Daelhr continued. "It will only starve them. Also, we must take into account the magnitude of the project we have given them. They do have a lot of work. And I think we all can agree that the work they have done so far is quite good."

"Yes." Demetrius nodded.

"Definitely." Philip too agreed.

"Philip, find out how much we can increase their wages without burdening our treasury and how much will that affect their lives," Chad said, "Prepare a report and give it to me within a week; I want this issue solved as soon as possible."

"Very well."

"You may leave."

Philip nodded and walked out of the room.

Chad turned to Demetrius. "Can you have a survey conducted about what are the basic facilities the poor families lack?" he asked. "I mean I think we should give some rations to them, or provide them with facilities regarding health. I heard that viruses and infections have been spreading amongst the children, courtesy of the blasted rains."

"I'll see to it."

"See if you can have the survey conducted before we go back, I want to start taking some action on our plans when we return to Daelhr."

"Yes, my lord."

"And Demetrius?"

"Yes, Chad?"

Chad's eyes hardened. "Next time a talk comes up with the leader of this labor union, _I_ want to be the one to talk to him."

Demetrius blinked. "But you –"

"I'm planning on raising the wages, but because that was the right thing to do and not because he threatened my hold on the city," Chad said. "He needs to be told that and I prefer to do it _my_ way."

"Sure."

"Good," Chad rubbed his temples again when there was a knock on the door. "Come in."

A maid walked in. "Did you ask for tea, milord?"

"Ah yes, I did," Chad replied.

"A cup for me too," Demetrius said.

As the servant girl prepared the tea, Chad looked at her. "Have you seen Lucy this morning?"

"Yes, milord." She replied. "But she is not at the palace right now."

"Where is she?"

"She went out riding. The queen came to the kitchens to get lunch for two."

Chad frowned. "_Two_?"

The girl nodded. "She went with her personal guard, Harry."

"Thank you," Chad said as she served the tea. "That would be all."

The servant bowed and left.

The room was silent for a couple of minutes.

"Chad," Demetrius began. "You seem disturbed."

"It's nothing," Chad replied. "I just have a lot of work."

The man's eyes softened. "You're doing a really good job."

Chad smiled slightly. "Thank you."

"But you should not overwork yourself," Demetrius stepped forward and patted his shoulder. "You should know that we're all here to assist you."

"I know that."

Demetrius chuckled and then shook his head.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"You looked like you wanted to say something." Chad said. "What is it?"

"I do not wish to be out of line, milord."

"Demetrius, you are a friend to me and you've helped me so much in the past five years," Chad said. "Surely you can talk to me without being worried of angering me."

"It's just that I heard some men talk about Alianna last night at the ball." Demetrius said slowly. "And it makes me realize that my girl has grown up now."

Chad sipped his tea, listening intently.

"I was talking to Philip about it last night. I wish her to marry her off."

"So?"

"So, he asked me if I knew any good suitor." Demetrius looked at him. "Now, please do not take this the wrong way, but I told her about _you_."

Chad blinked, his tired mind trying to grasp what he was saying.

"What I mean to say is that I want a hardworking, well-settled and a humble man for my daughter, just like you," Demetrius said. "I would have asked you to marry her and offered you this proposal, but you are courting the Valiant Queen."

"… Oh." Was all Chad could come up with.

"Nothing would have made me happier than having you as a son in law, Chad," Demetrius told him. "But worry not; you're still like a son to me."

Chad smiled slightly. "Thank you, Demetrius."

"Did I offend you?"

"Not at all," Chad said. "Every father wishes the best for his daughter. And don't you worry, I'm sure there is someone meant for Alianna."

Demetrius nodded. "In any case, if you know any man who is just like you and who you think is fitting for my daughter, let me know."

"Sure."

"Thank you." Demetrius placed his cup back on the desk. "I shall take your leave."

Chad nodded. "I'll see you later."

When he was gone, Chad took a deep breath and rested his head on the table, closing his eyes.

_Maybe I should take some medicine for the damn headache_, he thought numbly. _Or maybe I should just sleep._

All was silent.

And it felt so good.

He placed his arm under his head when –

_Thump!_

A file fell to the floor.

With a sigh, he reached down. His hand grasped it and –

"Boo!"

He quickly moved up and –

_Bang!_

His head hit the table. Hard. And he hissed.

"Oh my! I'm sorry," a voice he recognized as Lucy's reached his ears. "I didn't mean to scare you so bad."

"What did you mean to do then?" he asked, his eyes tightly shut as he waited for the pain to recede.

"I just…" her hand came to his head.

"Don't." he pushed it away, standing up, the stupid file still in his hand. Angry, he slammed it on the table. "Why did you _do_ that?"

"I was just kidding, Chad," she said, looking at him strangely. "Are you alright?"

"Stars are dancing in front of my eyes, Luce," Sarcasm laced his voice, "Everything is great."

"I said I was sorry."

"I know," he took a deep breath to shove down his anger. "Why are you here?"

"Am I not even allowed here?" she asked.

"You know I did not mean it like that."

"I just wanted to visit you and see if your fit of insanity from last night has subsided or not," she looked at him. "Of course, after how you've reacted to my presence in the last two minutes, I'm not so sure."

"I am not mad."

"No," she said. "Just irrational."

He glared at her. "Well, so are you."

"Really?"

"It seems so, since you're seeing things that _don't_ exist."

"The same applies to you, Chad."

"Does it?"

"I can't believe that you would accuse me of being disloyal to you."

"I cannot believe that you would link me to Alianna," Chad ran a hand through his hair. "I mean, she is not even a friend."

"Yet you spend a lot of your time with her."

"I just danced with her at the ball because you were _unavailable_."

"Oh, really?" she asked. "But from the looks of it, you two seemed pretty comfortable chatting and dancing."

"You seem to be too close to your personal guard too," he shot back, "Much _too_ _close_, for my taste."

Lucy narrowed her eyes. "Stay in your limits, Chad."

He turned away. "Why are you even here, Lu? I thought you _might_ prefer going to others and spending time with them."

"I told you. I wanted to see you."

"You would have seen me at the dinner tonight."

She frowned. "Fine. I'll just go then."

"No, wait," he sighed, turning back to her.

"What?"

"I'm just tired."

"And cranky."

"That too, maybe," Chad paused, "I didn't mean to offend you."

"Me too," she admitted in a low voice.

He nodded.

"So…" Lucy said after a moment, and Chad could tell that she was trying to sound normal. "What were you doing?"

"Working."

"Anything special?"

He shook his head. "Just the usual."

"It must be boring." She looked at him.

"I don't know about that, but it definitely is exhausting."

"I know."

"Sure you do," he took a step closer to her. "I don't know how you can handle it so well."

"I'm just more talented than you."

He chuckled. "Indeed."

She smiled and turned to the table. "So, what were you working on?" she reached out and picked up a few papers.

"Lucy," Chad said, "Don't."

She raised an eyebrow. "Are there any secrets hidden in these papers?" Her voice was full of humor.

"No."

"Then I see no harm in reading them." She smiled and picked up a few more papers.

"Lucy –"

"Oh, the flu epidemic is a problem," she read off from the sheet. "The rains seriously spread so many diseases all over Narnia. You should set up camps, where doctors offer free medication to the patients."

"Luce, please –"

"Oh good!" she exclaimed, checking more papers. "You're already doing that."

She placed the pages on the table, moving on to pick up more work.

"Dear, you have –"

"And the taxes –"

"_Stop_ _it_, Lucy!" Chad shouted, snatching the papers from her hands. "I had placed these papers in an order by which I would work on them later on but you just mixed everything up!"

"I didn't know."

"Why do you have to poke your nose into other people's business?" he asked. "When are you going to _stop_ doing that, Lucy?"

"Look I am sorry that I messed your work but you don't have to be so angry."

"You're not the one who will have to spend a long –"

"I work too, Chad!" Lucy was angry now. "I have to rule the whole of Narnia, but that doesn't mean that I start behaving so rudely to those who care about me."

"I don't want to hear a lecture, Lucy. I am not in the mood."

"I'm not lecturing you, Chad. I'm just _telling_ you –"

"I don't want to be _told_ anything, then!"

Lucy closed her mouth, her eyes on his.

He took a deep breath. "I just did not like that you fought with me over something so stupid last night. I did not like that you scared me right now. I did not like that you shuffled everything that I had spent an entire morning arranging in a certain way," he said, forcing his voice to remain calm. "And I don't want you to do it again. Is that so wrong?"

"No." she said, her voice smooth. "But your way of telling me that is."

"I know."

"And I don't see you apologizing."

Chad gritted his teeth. "I'm sorry."

He did not mean it and they both knew that.

She was quiet for a while. "I just thought that after seeing me after so many months, you would be a bit enthusiastic to be with me because you love me so much. So I wanted to spend some time with you. Clearly, I was wrong."

"You were not wrong, Lucy," Chad sighed. "You yourself told me that you'll be busy all day, so I started working. What is so wrong with that?"

"I had so much work today and I begged Harry to help me with the work, and he did," Lucy told him. "And I rushed here to meet you and all you have done is shout at me."

He narrowed his eyes. "Is mentioning Harry supposed to make me feel jealous?"

She blinked in surprise. "Do you think I would stoop so low?"

He chose to ignore that. "Besides, you weren't even working. You were out riding with your friend."

"Were you spying on me?"

"Oh believe me; I have better things to do than spy on you," he spat, his voice bitter.

"Yet you seem to know where I was."

"It's not hard to figure out," he shrugged. "Seeing that I've seen you spend every last minute of your free time sticking close to your _dear_ _friend_, Harry."

"And what is that supposed to mean?"

"You're not dumb, Luce," he turned away, "Figure it out yourself."

She moved to face him. "Don't turn your back on me, Chad. I am sick of you being so insecure."

"And I'm sick of waiting for you to genuinely try to spend time with me."

"I'm here right now and _look_ how you're treating me."

"This is just one time." He paused, "What about the time when I asked you to have dinner with me and you said you had some documents to attend to."

"That was four days ago and I really had work to do," Lucy said.

"Liar!" He snorted. "Philip saw you talking to Harry in the courtyard. He tried to take me away from the balcony but I saw you and I didn't even ask you about it."

"I had asked Harry to bring me some inform –"

"_Excuses_!"

"You know what, _fine_," she snapped. "I don't have to explain myself to you."

"What is wrong with you, Lucy?"

"What is wrong with _you_, Chad?" Lucy almost shouted. "First you barely spend time with me. Then you accuse me of having a relationship with Harry. Then you fight with me all the time. And now you're even spying on me!"

"I was _not_ spying. I had asked about you because I wanted to see you and apologize for last night," he said. "But clearly, you're not ready to forgive."

"You're not ready to admit that you were wrong!"

"Why am I the _only_ one who is wrong, Lucy?" he asked.

"You are," she told him. "I went out riding with Harry so I could work with him somewhere else. I didn't feel like working in the palace. And we finished my work and came back."

He remained silent.

"This is going here nor there,"She turned away. "I'm leaving."

"Where the hell is the woman I fell in love with because clearly," his voice was quiet and calm, "You are _not_ her."

She glared at him. "Have a good day, Chad."

"Fine," he spat. "You too. Now leave me alone."

The only reply he got to that was the slamming of the door.

**[][][][][][][][]**

Lucy was fuming. She wanted to hit somebody. She wanted to run back to Chad and shove some sense down his mind.

Why was he being so mean and so irrational?

The Valiant Queen walked into the library and spotted the person she was looking for sitting at a table and a chair, reading a book. She walked over to him.

"Harry?"

Hazel eyes met hers. "My Queen."

He was about to stand up when she shook her head and dropped into a chair next to him. "I'm going to sit here and pour out my heart. And as my best friend, you will have to listen to me even if I disturb your reading time."

He smiled. "Sure. Is everything okay?"

"No."

His smile faded. "What happened?"

"I got into a fight with Chad again."

"What do you mean _'again'_?"

"We argued last night at the ball too." Lucy said. "And then I went to see him now so we could forget all about it, but all he did was shout at me."

Harry was silent for a moment. "Tell me what happened."

And she did. Starting with the ball last night and ending with the argument in Chad's room, she explained everything to Harry, how Chad had suspected her of cheating, how he had been so mean and angry, how they both had argued.

"… Chad is just being insane," Lucy said at the end. "I mean, I did the right thing, right?"

"Do you want an honest reply?" Harry asked after a moment of silence.

She nodded.

"Then yes, and no."

She frowned. "What do you mean?"

"You shouldn't have accused him of cheating on you with Alianna."

"He said that there was something going on between you and me!"

"And I can see where he gets that idea from."

Lucy blinked in surprise.

"See it from his perspective: he lives so far away from you. And you've told me about his past before. Clearly, he has some insecurities about whether he deserves someone amazing like you or not," Harry slowly explained. "So he returns after so many months and finds you spending a large proportion of your time with me. He gets insecure because he really loves you and doesn't want to lose you."

"Does that mean he starts questioning my loyalty to him?"

"I'm not saying that he is right," Harry told her. "I'm merely saying that it is normal for him to jump to conclusions. He is just a human, Lucy, and he can make mistakes."

"I love him, Harry and he should know that I would _never_ –"

"He does. I'm sure of it. It's just that he is pouring out his insecurities and frustration out on you."

"_Why_ me?"

Harry smiled wisely. "It is often the ones we love the most who get to suffer our wraths."

Lucy was quiet for a while. "… I guess we're both angry with the fact that we don't get to spend much time together and that we cannot do anything about it." she finally admitted.

"Listen to me, Lucy," he said, his tone forcing her to look into his eyes. "I understand that you two live far away and don't get to meet that often. But don't let this distance create an awkwardness or gap between yourselves. You both will regret it."

"You're right but… I don't know." She sighed.

"Do you love him?" Harry asked.

"Yes."

"Then it's simple. You have to make him realize what he means to you, and how much you hate fighting with him. He will understand."

"Are you sure?"

"I am," He paused, "And don't think that he is cheating on you with Alianna. I mean come on, the boy barely _speaks_ to that woman!"

Lucy smiled slightly. "Perhaps you are right. And maybe I should try to solve the situation by talking to him and not arguing."

"Exactly," Harry agreed. "And once he sees that you actually want to solve the issues between you two, he will actually cool off his mind and try to think rationally."

"What do I do now?" Lucy asked.

"Go to him. Apologize for all the mistakes you made. Tell him you love him. And everything will be alright."

She nodded. "Thanks, Harry. You're the best."

"I've heard that before."

She laughed and moved forward to wrap her arms tightly around him. "Sure you are!"

"You're actually agreeing with me?" he asked in wonder as he hugged her back.

She pulled away. "I'm, because it's the truth."

"I'm glad you think so."

She smiled. "I'll see you later, I've to go see someone special right now."

"Alright," he nodded. "And let me know how it went."

"Sure."

**[][][][][][][][]**

_Chad, you're stupid!_ The Lord of Daelhr told himself for the tenth time. And then he cursed his anger and the day for being so bad.

Lucy had come to talk to him. And he should have listened, instead of shouting at her and almost kicking her out.

Of course, she had been extremely rude too, but he could have simply demanded a proper explanation – and then told her to shut up if she was still being rude.

But _no_! The idiot had to pour out all of his restlessness on the woman he loved.

Well, he would apologize. He would tell her how he didn't want to lose her. And then he would ask her to stop being so stupid and arrogant and stop fighting with him for no reason at all. And then he would kiss her.

Yes, that was the plan.

And now, nothing would go wrong.

He hated fighting with her. He hated seeing her with someone else. And he absolutely hated hurting her.

So he would do it no more.

They would clear things out and maybe spend the evening together, chatting and having fun, like they used to.

Chad smiled, already looking forward to it.

But as the Lord of Daelhr entered the library – where a maid told him the Valiant Queen was – he froze.

"Thanks, Harry," Lucy was saying to her friend as they sat together at a table, their backs to him. "You're the best."

"I've heard that before," he replied, a cocky smile on his face.

And then to Chad's utter surprise, Lucy embraced Harry as her laughter echoed in the room. "Sure you are!"

Chad's mind went blank as he took in the scene before him.

"You're actually agreeing with me?" Harry asked as his hands came to rest on her back.

Chad's blood began to boil with anger. He wanted to rip that man into shreds. How dare he...?

No wait.

_How dare she?_

Wasn't she the one who had just screamed at him, Chad, telling him that she and Harry were just friends?

_Liar_.

Lucy slowly pulled away and looked into his eyes. "I'm, because it's the truth."

And that was it.

Chad turned on his heels and walked away.

"I'm glad you think so." He heard Harry say, but it only made his anger grow tenfold and he increased his pace.

How could she do this to him?

Why did she do this to him?

He loved her so much… still did.

She said she loved him, but here she was…

Chad slammed the door shut after he stepped into his room. Walking over to his bedside table, he pulled open the drawer and pulled out the small object that had been the main reason behind his visit to Cair.

He had spent the last day in Peter's study, asking permission for this.

He had planned for a perfect moment in the ball last night.

But thanks to the argument they had, it never happened.

And even now, when everything had gone wrong, he had thought that maybe he could still make everything right.

He stared at the delicate ring closely. It was a simple ring, made of white gold with a pear shaped diamond on the front. He had had it especially made and had sworn anyone who knew about it to secrecy.

He had wanted to surprise Lucy with it – to see her beautiful brown eyes go wide and her mouth hang open when he bent on his knees and asked her to be his wife.

It would have been so perfect.

An image of Lucy embracing Harry flashed before his eyes. With fury slashing at him inside, the Lord of Daelhr dropped the ring onto the bed.

She ruined everything.

And now, he didn't need this ring anymore. He should probably throw it into the fireplace or something, because after all that he had seen, this proposal was definitely not happening.

* * *

><p><strong>Misunderstandings. Misunderstandings. <strong>

**What will happen to our favorite couple now?**

**Well, stay tuned to find out!**

**Love,**

**Ennarre and CrazyKitCat.**

**Oh and guys, do check out CrazyKitCat's stories too - they are good! :)**

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**vvvvv  
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	4. Chapter 4

**Hey everybody! Sorry for the delay in the update - damn you, exams! Anyways, we're back with a long chapter for all of you as a Christmas gift. So, on behalf of CrazyKitCat and myself, I wish you all a happy Christmas! :D**

**Speaking of CrazyKitCat, do check out her story 'The King &The Sea' - _"Three years after leaving, the Pevensies are back as they begin a new Golden Age with King Caspian. But is everyone as happy as they seem, or are they missing a crucial member of their family? Find out as Ed & Kai recount the tale of "The King & The Sea"_**

**We also want to thank our wonderful reviewers - you all rock! :D**

**Now, go on read this chapter and review!**

**Disclaimer: Narnia does not belong to me.**

**.**

**Desires and Destiny**

**Chapter 4**

**.**

Lucy knocked on Chad's door and waited.

No reply.

She knocked again.

Nothing.

She frowned.

Maybe he was not in the room. But, the servants had told her that he was in there.

Maybe he was in the wash chambers and couldn't hear her knock.

_Oh well_, Lucy shrugged and opened the door.

She stopped.

Chad was standing by the window, with his back to her.

Didn't he hear her knocking?

Maybe he was still angry or depressed or not in the mood to socialize.

That would change.

Lucy was here for him. They would talk, they would sort out their issues and everything will be fine.

With a small smile, she walked over to him and hugged him from behind, wrapping her arms around his torso.

"What are you doing standing here all alone?" she asked, resting her head against his back.

He didn't reply.

"Are you still angry?" she waited for his response but when none came, she went on, "I need to talk to you, Chad."

"So do I," His voice was emotionless as his hands came to rest over hers.

Lucy smiled, even though he could not see it. "You go first."

"I will," he said and pulled himself free of her grasp. "I was stupid. I made a mistake. And I am sorry."

Lucy realized that Harry was right. That once she and Chad both realize their mistakes, everything would be fine. "Chad, I –"

"Why did I even think that this could work?" he asked, turning around to face her.

She stopped. "What?"

"You clearly do not love me anymore, so why am I _even_ trying to make things work," he paused. "You've found your special one and you're pretty happy with him."

Her eyes widened. "Chad, listen to me –"

"No, Lucy, _you_ listen to me. I am sick and tired of listening to your lies, of letting you play with my feelings, and I don't want that anymore."

She went quiet, trying to grasp what he was saying. Her entire mind, body, soul wanted to protest, but the fury in his emerald eyes froze her.

"If you loved Harry, you should have simply come and told me. I would have understood. But no, all you did was drop hints, hoping that I would step away," he looked at her evenly, "_Fine_. I will grant you your wish. I'll not come in between you two anymore."

"Chad," her eyes began getting wet. "How can you even say that?"

"You've played me, Lucy, and I will never forgive you for that."

"I love –"

"Don't say 'you'." He said through gritted teeth. "Don't lie anymore. I know you love him. I saw you two in the library."

"What? That is not what you think," Lucy's voice shook. "Please, listen to me, I can –"

Chad turned away. "I don't want to listen to you."

A tear leaked down her eye. "How can you jump to conclusions?"

"I'm not jumping to any conclusions. I saw your betrayal with my very own eyes."

"Honestly Chad, just because I –"

"I can't believe that you would break my heart like this, Lucy. You were the kindest, sweetest and most caring person I ever met." He said bitterly walking over to the bed. "It feels as if all my beliefs have turned into ash."

"Don't say that!"

"I came here for you, Lucy," he picked something up and walked back to her. "I came here to give you this."

And as Lucy's eyes noticed the ring lying on his palm, she gasped. "Oh Chad…"

"I didn't want to live so far away from you," he said, sadness in his voice. "I wanted to make you mine in every possible way. I wanted you to be my wife."

"It is a beautiful ring," A small smile lit her face as she reached out, her fingers hovering an inch above it.

"Don't. Touch. It." he ordered, his voice filled with fury.

She looked up into his eyes. They held nothing but pain and anger and betrayal. "Chad…"

"It doesn't belong to _you_ anymore," he pocketed the little piece of jewelry, "just like my heart."

And her heart shattered when she heard these words.

"My intention was to propose you, but you are so happy with Harry, and clearly you don't need me anymore," Chad told her. "So, I will leave you two alone in your happiness and go back to Daelhr."

"Y-You're leaving?"

"I don't see the point in staying."

"You can't go," she said. "Not with all of these misunderstandings in your mind."

"I'm tired," he said. "I wish to rest."

"You're just trying to get rid of me."

"Maybe."

"Look, Chad –"

"Why don't you go and talk to your _lover_ boy?" he spat.

Lucy blinked at his harsh tone.

"Get out, Lucy," he said. "I don't want to spend another moment with you."

"Cha –"

"Lucy, you're my queen and I respect you," his voice was pleading and yet firm. "So please, get out of my room before I make you."

"You and I –"

"Will _never_ be together," he promised as he motioned towards the door. "You can go to the man you love."

She couldn't move.

She was in too much pain.

Tears fell down her cheeks and her eyes remained fixed on Chad.

He waited patiently for a minute but then grasped her arm tightly, dragging her with him.

"Chad," she begged, tears shinning on her cheeks as he all but pushed her out of the room, "Don't do this."

"Good night, milady."

With that, he slammed the door on her face and Lucy stood there for a couple of minutes, frozen like a statue as her mind tried to grasp what just had happened.

**[][][][][][][][]**

When Lucy finally came to, she did the first thing that popped into her head: run.

Run.

_Run_.

She ran down several hallways, not really paying attention to where she was running.

She didn't notice when she knocked over a maid by the kitchens, sounds of china breaking following her.

She didn't notice when she bumped into Caspian or when he tried to question her when he noticed her tears.

She just ran, hoping she could outrun her problems.

Her heart ached.

Her mind stopped working.

And his voice, his words echoed in her ears again and again, piercing her deeper and harder every time she heard them.

"_I am sick and tired of listening to your lies, of letting you play with my feelings, and I don't want that anymore."_

"_You've played me, Lucy, and I will never forgive you for that."_

"_Don't lie anymore. I know you love him. I saw you two in the library."_

"…_But you are so happy with Harry and clearly, you don't need me anymore, so, I will leave you two alone in your happiness and go back to Daelhr."_

Tears ran down her cheeks just as she brought her hands to her ears, hoping that the voice – his hard, angry, hurt voice – would just stop with this childish act.

But it didn't.

And she cried out loud.

How could Chad say that?

How could he do that?

How could he hurt her like that?

She loved him, only him, so much and he…

And the ring!

It had been so beautiful, and she wanted him to just slip it on her finger and tell her he loved her. She wanted to marry him.

"_I wanted to make you mine in every possible way. I wanted you to be my wife."_

That would have been perfect. Chad and Lucy – meant to be together, bonded in marriage… that would have been so, _so_ perfect.

But no – that would not happen.

"_It doesn't belong to you anymore, just like my heart."_

How could Chad do this?

Chad, the man she loved so much. The man with whom she had spent so much time…

It had been difficult becoming friends with him after she first met him in the stables one night.

It had been difficult getting him to open up to her – getting him to talk to her.

It had been difficult making him accept the fact that he loved her.

But it had been so easy for her to fall in love with him. Because he was truly amazing – he was handsome, noble, and a caring, honorable man.

And once, everyone he had admitted his feelings for her, it had been so easy… being with him. They talked: joked, kissed, laughed, cried… they were just perfect. This relationship was perfect.

And how could he simply end it, just like that?

The loss felt too great.

It was too big for her to accept, it was too painful for her to bear, it was too close for her to outrun.

But still she tried, forcing her legs to go faster and faster, hoping that all these thoughts will stay behind – the Valiant Queen simply ran.

Unfortunately, she couldn't run fast enough and reality caught up with her when she ran into a wall of muscle.

Instinctively, she braced herself for the fall, but the impact to the floor never came.

Instead, she felt a pair of warm, strong arms pull her closer and keep her from falling.

Confused, Lucy looked up into hazel eyes, ones that she knew too well.

"H-Harry?" she somehow managed to ask.

"Lucy?"

And that was it.

Knowing that she was safe with her best friend, the Valiant Queen let her grief consume her as she rested her head on his chest, allowing her tears to flood freely down her face as she sobbed.

**[][][][][][][][]**

The Valiant Queen embraced Harry and cried. And worry grasped the young man where as his confusion and curiosity flared with in him.

He had come to the stables to get his horse and go back home when he had heard someone approaching. And he had been beyond shocked to see Lucy running blindly, tears shining on her face, until she collided with him.

And now, she was crying all over him.

"Lucy?" Harry asked in concern, "What is wrong?"

She just cried, clutching his tunic tightly.

"Lucy – hey… it's okay," he comforted her, patting her on her back; "You are alright. I'm here. Shhh… calm down."

"He-he had a ring… It was beautiful," Lucy cried, sobbing uncontrollably.

"Wait… what?" Harry frowned, as he gently pulled her back so he could look at her.

_What is she talking about?_

"Chad—Chad had a ring. H-He was going to propose, but…but he…" Lucy trailed off as the exhaustion of her tears caught up with her.

"Lucy?" Harry asked, alarmed as Lucy's eyes fluttered in exhaustion. "Lucy, stay with me."

She barely nodded.

"What did Chad do?"

"H-He said he didn't w-want to be with me anymore," Lucy said, her voice quivering as her eyes closed, exhaustion from her grief taking over her. "He said he d-didn't want to marry me anymore because he thinks I l-love you."

Fury filled the young man as he listened to what his friend was saying. Was the Lord of Daelhr stupid? Could he not see the love Lucy had for him? "Didn't you tell him that this was just his imagination?" he asked.

She shook her head. "He didn't listen."

"I'll talk to him."

She shook her head again. "It's over. He ended our relationship."

Harry's heart immediately went out to Lucy. He hated seeing her so weak, so broken and so sad. He wanted her to be happy for she was his best friend, and her friendship was something he cherished beyond imagination.

It was strange, how they had met – how they had become friends. It was as if fate was at work, for Harry had certainly not thought that a day would come when he would serve as a personal guard and a friend to the Valiant Queen of Narnia. What was even more, she had chosen him. She was the one who had insisted that Harry was the one to be her personal guard instead of several other 'more suitable' guards.

Harry had barely been trained when Kings Edmund, Peter, and Caspian had required Lucy to select a personal guard under the pretense that she ran off too much. There were several candidates more advanced than him, but Lucy had seen something in Harry that he hadn't even seen in himself.

He still remembered that day, when he had first seen Lucy in person.

"_Ready, Harry?" _

"_Yes, sir," Harry nodded as he picked up a makeshift sword. _

_He was in the training grounds with the other guards and trainers. It had been a month since he had started his training. He looked around, his eyes moving over the other men in the clearing, many of whom were clearly his superiors in the field, having fought wars before - way better than him when it came to any kind of armed combat._

_And this was why he was both frustrated and embarrassed with the fact that he had been losing in his sparring for the last hour._

I'm making a fool out of myself, _he thought grimly, _and I hate it.

_His trainer had been one of the High King's best soldiers before he retired and volunteered to train new trainees. And boy, was he merciless. The new bruises that Harry took home daily were proof of it._

"_If you're ready then your eyes should be on your target and _not_ admiring the scenery, boy!" Randolf's voice sounded in his ears, clearly irritated._

_Harry looked back at his trainer sheepishly and took a few tentative steps forward, his weapon at the ready when he stopped and frowned._

_His trainer was looking somewhere over his shoulder._

Who's the one enjoying the scenery now? _he thought, amused._

"_Sir?" Harry asked slowly. _

"_My Kings and Queen," Randolf bowed._

_Confused, Harry turned around and froze to see the three Kings of Narnia walking towards them. Right behind them was Queen Lucy with her arms folded over her chest and an expression of annoyance on her face._

_It was quite a sight, really, watching four of the monarchs walking with such grace and authority. These were the people who ruled over this land, who had brought peace and prosperity to the Narnians. These were the people Harry would gladly die for._

"_I do not want a guard," the Valiant Queen was saying as the four came to a stop before them._

_King Edmund snorted. "And I don't want to eat ever again."_

"_Are you trying to be funny?" she shot._

"_No, I'm merely trying to prove how silly your words are."_

"_Edmund is right, Lucy," King Caspian told her, "With your habits of running away to your little adventures every now and then and Peter's habit of being extremely concerned about you – one of these days he will end up killing someone in his frustration!"_

_The High King grunted. "You need a personal guard – someone who would be with you every time you decide to run off to your little adventures for fun, Lu."_

"_But –"_

"_No buts," the High King said firmly, "I don't want any arguments when it comes to this."_

_The Valiant Queen pressed her lips into a thin line, though it was clear that she did not approve of the idea._

"_Ah, Randolf," the High King turned to Harry's trainer. "How are you?"_

"_Well, my king," Randolf replied, "And you?"_

"_Fine. Now, I want Lucy to have a personal guard. Who do you think would be the best for this job?"_

"_Wait!" Lucy interrupted, irritated. "Don't I get a say in this?"_

"_In what?"_

"_In choosing my guard."_

"_But -"_

"_She is right," Edmund said, "He would be _her _guard, after all."_

"_Fine."_

_Lucy looked around the clearing, eyeing all the men. _

_Harry's eyes moved around too, as he wondered who she will choose. _

Probably someone well-trained, _his mind supplied_. And strong. Maybe she will choose Matthew. _Harry eyed the man who was leaning against a tree, looking at the monarchs indifferently._ He's very good at making split second decisions, an ability that would be crucial, should anything bad happen. Then again, Matthew isn't very sociable... His arrogance would not mesh well with the Valiant Queen's kind and forgiving nature.

Possibly she will choose Donald. _Harry glanced at a tall man standing across from him._ He's quick on his feet and would be able to keep up with the Valiant Queen's fast pace, but he's horrible at making quick decisions.

_Shaking his head, Harry moved his eyes to Brian, who was sitting on the floor, his head inclined in respect._ However, Brian is also very credible. He's fast and quick-thinking, however, his small stature add up to something worth fearing.

_As Harry kept looking around, 'weighing' the pros and cons of each of his comrades' stats, he found himself finding faults in each one, making them unsuitable to serve the Queen as her personal guard. _

_He glanced back at the queen, hoping to read her expression to help him guess and he froze, only to find her brown eyes on him. Her eyes were deep, and he could feel her staring at him with great intensity. For a second, he wondered if she could see deep within him, into his very soul. But then he disregarded the silly thought._

_Another part of his mind told him to look away, for he was beginning to look like an idiot, since he was still staring the Queen right in her eye._

_Quickly, he averted his eyes away from hers, deciding to look at Randolf instead._

_He could still feel her looking at him. _

Why is she staring at me?_ he asked himself, feeling extremely uncomfortable, _Me, of all people!

"_What is your name?"_

_It took Harry a few seconds to realize that the question was directed at him. _

_His eyes snapped back to the queen. "H-Harry, milady," he managed to stutter._

Great,_ he thought to himself, _As if being defeated during sparring was not enough, now you've lost your ability to speak straight too.

"_Harry," Queen Lucy repeated, rolling the name on her tongue as she continued to stare at him. She tilted her head to the side and spoke, "Would you like to be my personal guard, Harry?"_

_Harry blinked, his mind going blank. Perhaps he hadn't heard her right_._ "I beg your pardon, your majesty?"_

_A small smile lit her face, making it seem truly beautiful. Then she turned to the kings. "I want Harry to be my personal guard."_

_Nope, he had heard her right._

"_Harry is not fully trained yet, my queen," Randolf said._

Exactly_, Harry wanted to say. Instead he remained silent._

"_I'm sure he will find time to complete his training in the middle of his duties," Lucy said, turning back to him. "Won't you, Harry?"_

_Harry nodded. "Yes, your highness."_

"_Good," she said. "From today onwards, you are officially my personal guard."_

"_I'm honored, my queen," Harry inclined his head. "I promise I will do my best to not let you down."_

"_I would expect nothing less of you," the High King spoke. "You are to protect my sister from any harm that comes her way."_

"_Yes, my King."_

"_Great then," Lucy smiled. "I want to go out for a ride in the woods. Meet me in the stables in exactly fifteen minutes, Harry."_

_Harry bowed his head. "As you wish, my Queen." _

_Though his words were spoken clearly, his mind was reeling. The Valiant Queen had chosen him as her personal guard, as someone who would protect her at all times._ Him.

_But why?_

After that, it was required for Harry to spend virtually all of his time with Lucy, and because of this and the two had developed a close friendship. Naturally, he felt very protective of her.

Chad was already the Lord of Daelhr at that time and was courting the Valiant Queen, and Lucy had spent the first few months of their friendship telling Harry everything about him. Of course, he had never really had the chance to meet the Lord of Daelhr until recently.

And now Harry felt incredibly angry at Chad. How could he do this to Lucy? She had done nothing but love him.

Taking a deep breath to calm his anger, Harry looked down and noticed that Lucy had passed out in his arms while he had comforted her.

"Lucy," he murmured.

She shifted a little but did not open her eyes.

This only made Harry more angry and he decided that he was going to have a 'little chat' with Chad after he took care of his number one priority: Queen Lucy.

But what should he do now that the Queen was sleeping in his arms?

He looked down at her. Tear tracks still glistened on her cheeks and even in her sleep, she seemed so exhausted. He did not want to wake her up.

So, Harry reached down and placed one arm around her knees, gently sweeping her into his arms and carried her out of the stables, which, if he recalled correctly, was exactly the place where Lucy said she and Chad had first met.

**[][][][][][][][]**

Lucy slowly opened her eyes and blinked. She was staring at navy blue fabric. She blinked and raised her head, only to realize that she was in someones arms.

_What is-? _

"Lucy, you're awake."

She looked up to find herself staring at Harry's face. "Harry?" she asked, confused.

"You fell asleep in the stables while crying," he said slowly.

"Crying?" she asked, and then it all came back to her.

Chad.

The ring.

His words.

The pain.

Running.

Harry.

Lucy crying.

"Oh," she managed to say, as her eyes threatened to get wet again. She looked around. It seemed like the hallway that led to her chambers.

"I didn't want to wake you up," Harry explained, "So I decided to carry you back."

Lucy looked back at him. "That was so considerate of you."

"It is my job."

Lucy rested her head against his shoulder. "Harry?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"For listening to me, for letting me cry all over you and -"

"It is my job," he said as he came to a stop outside her room and he put her down.

"No, it's not," she said, still leaning on him.

"It is my job as your friend, Lucy."

She smiled.

"Can you stand?" he asked, letting go of her. She swayed a little and he quickly wrapped an arm around her waist for support. "When was the last time you ate something?"

"I don't know," she replied, "Maybe early this morning."

"You should eat."

"I'm not hungry."

"Lucy," his voice was full of disapproval. "You've had a hard day. Do not starve yourself. Look how weak you already are."

"I had thought that I'd dine with C-Chad once we had cleared our misunderstandings," she said, her voice beginning to shake.

Harry remained quiet, not knowing what to say to that. "You should eat," he insisted a moment later. "Do you want me to get you some food?"

She shook her head. "No, I'll get it later on," she paused. "Or I can get it now and you can eat with me. Come on in, please."

"No, Lucy," Harry said slowly. "I cannot join you for dinner in your chambers at this time of the night. It is inappropriate."

"I don't care."

"I know you don't," he said, "But I just don't think that it is the right thing to do."

She looked at him for a moment before resting her head on his shoulder. "You're a good friend, Harry."

"Thank you."

"I couldn't have asked for a better guard and a better friend than you," she looked back at him, a small smile playing on her lips.

He returned the smile and opened his mouth to speak before closing it.

Lucy saw that. "What?"

"Nothing."

"You wanted to say something."

"It is nothing."

She could see that he wanted to ask something. From the hesitance and the curiosity she saw on his face, she knew that it was something he felt compelled to ask about something he had never questioned.

"Say it," she said in a smooth voice.

He looked at her. "Why?"

Lucy was baffled by the question and didn't know how to respond. "Why? Why…what?"

"Why me?" Harry clarified.

"Why you…_what_?" Lucy asked again, not understanding.

"Why did you choose me when there were so many others more suitable than I was?"

Lucy smiled as she understood what her friend was asking. "I chose you to be my guard because I saw that you and I shared a lot of similar qualities."

"What similar qualities?" he wondered out loud.

"You and I are both very passionate about what we do," Lucy explained. "I saw how you were fighting with the practice swords and knew that you would never give up. If you had to choose between protecting me or saving yourself, you'd put my safety before your own, even though I'd hate you for it."

"Of course," Harry agreed, lowering his head in humility, "You're my queen! And I'm just a mere foot soldier."

"But you're so much more than that," Lucy said, cupping his cheek, tilting his head to look into her eyes. "You're my friend. Even though there were many other soldiers who were more advanced than you, _you _were chosen to be the personal guard to a queen of Narnia."

"I know. But that was really kind of you," he argued, "_You_ chose me."

"You look down on yourself too much Harry. You should be proud of your achievements."

"But I'm just..." Harry was cut off as Lucy pulled him into a soft, chaste kiss.

A few seconds later, Lucy pulled back and looked deep into his eyes. "You mean a lot to me, Harry, more than you can imagine," she said softly, "And I... thank you for all you've done for me."

It took him a long moment to find his voice. "I'll always be there for you, Lucy." he promised.

"I know."

Harry looked at her. "But this is wrong. You shouldn't have kissed me, Lucy."

She bit her lip. "I know. I'm sorry."

"It's alright. I understand you are shaken by the recent events, but please - be strong." he said, leaning forward to kiss her brow, "Alright?

She nodded.

"I should head back now," he said.

"Alright," she smiled. "Good night, Harry."

"Good night," he inclined his head and stepped back, waiting till Lucy stepped into her room and closed the door. Then, he turned and walked back down the hallway.

* * *

><p><strong>There you go. Good? Bad? Do tell us.<strong>

**We'll update the next chapter soon... Until then, take care and have fun.**

**- Ennarre and CrazyKitCat.**

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	5. Chapter 5

**Hey everybody! Ennarre here. **

**I just want to say that I can't believe that this story is being liked so much. And I want to welcome the new readers here as well. I had no intention of writing this one, though - just a vague idea (a very very vey vague idea) and well, I just did, with CrazyKitCat's help of course. And I'm glad that you all like it :)**

**Oh, and Happy New Year in advance! :D I hope you all have a great year ahead with lots of fun and happy memories :)**

**Err... I dont have anything else to say, though. Except that go on, read and review! And that I hope you all like this chapter.**

**Oh, but CrazyKitCat would like to say a few things, so the A/N at the end would be from her.**

**Disclaimer: Narnia is not mine.**

**.**

**Desires and Destiny**

**Chapter 5**

**.**

Chad was sitting alone on the couch in the living room. In his hands was the damn ring, and absently, his fingers played with it. He glanced at the diamonds, admiring their beauty and the skill with which they were cut and put on the ring. It was indeed a beautiful ring and he had had it made with such excitement…

Why was he, then, cursing the piece of jewelry? It was not the ring's fault that Lucy had fallen in love with someone else.

He sighed.

He had been trying not to think about her ever since he walked into this room, but so far he had had no success at all.

Slowly, his green eyes moved away from the ring in his hands to the wall. A mirror hung over it, reflecting the flowers on the table nearby. He stared at the mirror, at his reflection.

He looked like a mess. Not weak. Not injured. Not unclean. And yet, a mess. It was just this look... like he was in pain, like the source of his happiness had been taken away, like he had crumbled down.

"You brought it upon yourself."

He blinked in surprise.

Did his reflection just speak with him?

"Why, yes, I did," the Chad in the mirror replied.

"H-How?" the real Chad asked.

His reflection shrugged. And then looked at him seriously. "You over-reacted. Was breaking up with Lucy necessary?"

"I don't want to talk about it," Chad snapped, annoyed at the fact that his reflection was scolding him and also at the fact that he was _actually_ talking to it.

Sighing, the Lord of Daelhr turned away.

_How mature_, a voice in his mind taunted him.

_Who are you?_ he asked.

_I'm you,_ the voice replied.

Chad frowned, confused. _And what do you want?_

_I want exactly what you want: peace and love,_ it replied, _But I cannot have it and neither can you. Do you know why?_

Chad didn't reply, knowing that the voice would continue.

_Because you threw it away._

_I did not, _Chad snapped, _Lucy moved on._

_Perhaps she did,_ the voice admitted, _but shouldn't you talk to her - confront her?_

_And then what?_ Chad questioned. _Nothing. I will only be risking hurting myself even more._

_Aha!_ it exclaimed, S_o you're afraid of getting hurt._

_Maybe, maybe not._

_But aren't you already hurt?_

Chad thought for a moment. Then - _Go away_, he ordered.

_I will,_ the voice said, _but do ponder over the events that took place._

"It's not like keep myself from thinking about them," Chad muttered and then breathed out in relief when the voice didn't reply. It really was gone.

Did he really overreact?

The answer was clear - yes.

But the more he thought about it, the more he realized that 'overreacting' was not telling Lucy that it was over, but his way of telling her. Maybe he should have confronted her, maybe he should have explained to her that how she had hurt him, maybe he should not have pushed her out of the room.

That had actually hurt him more than it hurt Lucy. Then again, he wasn't sure if Lucy was hurt or not by his actions.

_No._ He immediately threw that thought away.

Yes, he loved Lucy. Yes, she betrayed him by moving on to Harry. But his heart refused to believe that his words didn't hurt her. She was still the sweet, sensitive and yet so brave queen he had fallen in love with. And him dragging her out of the room had hurt her - her eyes had told him that.

But he hadn't been able to control himself. His anger had taken over him and the hurt and jealousy he had felt when he had seen Lucy hug Harry had blinded him.

He sighed again and picked up the goblet of water from the table, gulping the cool liquid.

Why was he even thinking about this?

Lucy had gone to Harry.

Lucy had chosen Harry over him.

He had stepped back so that Lucy could be with the one she loved.

And that was the plain truth of it. Thinking about it would only bring more pain.

But how could he stop thinking about her when his heart belonged to her?

Every beat of his heart reminded him of the innocent, beautiful, charming and strong Queen - with her brown eyes and her long brown hair that fell to her back. With her sweet voice, and kind words, with her smile that could light up the whole of Narnia and her intelligence...

She was his first friend.

She was the one who had pulled him out of his hard shell.

She was the one who had helped him overcome the darkness that had surrounded his world.

She was the one who had not cared that he was a servant and she, a queen, and she had embraced him - sitting with him by the waterfalls and painting, not even complaining as he ruined her great pieces of art.

She was the one who had questioned him non-stop, forcing him to tell her the secrets that he had not told anyone.

She was the one who had came to know about his past and Kayla, and still continued to be his friend.

She was the only one who had respected him.

She was the one whom he had madly fallen in love with.

And even when she had found out about Chad's blood - his heritage, about the fact that he was the spawn of the monster Bryce and the brother of the beast Alfred, she had still loved him, respected him and cared for him.

And he loved her.

He _loved_ her.

And the fact that she just moved on pained him. It felt as if someone was stabbing his heart after setting it on fire.

"Chad," a kind voice brought him back to his surroundings and he looked up to find Demetrius standing nearby. "Are you alright?"

"Yes," the Lord of Daelhr lied, "Why do you ask?"

"You seem to be... brooding."

"I'm not." Another lie. "What brings you here, Demetrius?"

The old man took a seat on an armchair across from Chad. "I just wanted to inform you that that there has been another strike from the labor. This time they took out a rally, shouting out their demands openly on the streets."

Chad listened quietly. _Great, another troubled matter for me._

Why did this keep on happening?

He was not only in tension when it came to his personal life, but his professional also got worse by the second. He was a good governor, he was handling the city well, his people liked him - and yet these stupid labor issues were causing him enough trouble.

And now, he had these to worry about as well as Lucy - the woman he was madly in love with, the woman who had broken his heart.

He glanced at Demetrius. The man had children who loved him, he worked as an advisor and it was work that he loved. A nice family. A nice life.

Why couldn't it be so simple for Chad?

"It took me a long time calming Philip. He said that only a good beating would put some sense into these rebels, as he has started calling them..." the old man continued, unaware of Chad's train of thought.

Of course, Chad knew that Demetrius had had problems too. He knew that the man missed his dead wife - the wife who had died giving birth to their daughter, the wife he still loved even after all these years.

"... I told him to stop. You're the Lord of Daelhr and we will only do what you order. Besides, I doubt that breaking a leg or two would solve any problem..."

How could Demetrius still love Thea, after all these years?

She had died. And he had been alone. And bringing up his children alone could not have been easy.

He could have remarried. He could have chosen anyone. He had money, a nice home, a good position in the society... and he must have been handsome. Even at this age, he still was.

How could, then, he stay so loyal to a memory, when Lucy - who had a man who loved her with all his heart - did not care about Chad and went on strengthening her relationship with Harry?

"All in all, the strike has been stopped for now," Demetrius was saying, "The labor is not much happy and I believe we will have to do something before they start an uprising aga-"

"Tell me about your relationship with your wife, Demetrius," Chad spoke in an even voice.

Demetrius paused in mid-sentence, clearly caught off guard by the sudden question. "I-I beg your pardon, milord?"

"Tell me about Thea and your love for her."

Demetrius remained silent for a few moments, his eyes becoming unfocused as though he was seeing something Chad could not. Then in a voice filled with both longing and contentment, he began to speak, "Thea... was the most beautiful, the most brilliant woman I knew. She was the daughter of one of my father's friends and I had taken a liking to her. When I told my father, he quickly sent a proposal from me and it was accepted. The day of my marriage was the best day of my life."

Chad smiled slightly. "What was she like, in looks and in personality?"

"She had blue eyes and the prettiest lips ever, she was fair and petite, her golden silky hair were long and wavy," Demetrius smiled, "And her voice was always soft. She was the most kind-hearted, obedient and caring woman I ever knew. In fact, Alianna is very much like her - she is truly Thea's daughter."

"You are very loyal to your wife," Chad noted.

"I am," Demetrius said, "As she was to me. When the love is pure, loyalty comes naturally, for there is no one else in the whole world who could give you the comfort that one special person can give."

The small smile that had lit Chad's face while listening to the man faltered a bit.

"Of course, sometimes fate may take us to people whom we do not love truly at first, but that love can grow. And if it is pure - it can endure all hardships and still blossom in the end." Demetrius went on, "Thea and I had our share of problems and quarrels, but we ended up being happy at the end."

"You did," Chad agreed.

The old man hung his head. "But alas! My love for her was not enough to save her life. She died, leaving me alone and not a moment passes by when I do not miss her." he paused thoughtfully, "Pure love lives on I guess, even though the people may be apart from each other."

Chad remained silent.

"Can I ask you something, Chad?"

The Lord of Daelhr nodded.

"Why did you ask me this?"

Chad sighed and looked away, shaking his head.

"Is everything alright?"

Chad looked up and stared at his friend. Demetrius had always been faithful to him, yet he wasn't sure if he was ready to admit that he had just broken up with Lucy.

"Milord?" Demetrius tried again.

Chad sighed in defeat. "I broke up with Lucy," he told Demetrius evenly.

His counselor's eyes widened in shock and his jaw dropped in surprise. Chad watched as his mouth opened and closed a few times, trying to find something to say, before he finally got out a one-worded question: "Why?"

"I believe Lucy is in love with someone else," Chad told his friend.

"Did she tell you that?" Demetrius asked in shock.

"No," Chad told him. "She has shown me through her actions that she no longer shares my affections and has moved on."

"B-but that's impossible milord," Demetrius tried to object. "Queen Lucy loves you and would never-"

"She _would_," Chad cut him off. "She cheated and no longer cares. I _wanted _to propose to her - that was the main reason why we came here, but that no longer matters now..."

Demetrius just stared at the Lord of Daelhr for a moment, and Chad could see that the old man wanted to comfort him and yet did not know how.

"I'm sure you'll find another pretty girl in your future to help mend your heart, milord," the old man finally said to Chad.

Chad smiled sadly. "I doubt it."

"I'm sure of it," he replied, "I mean look at you: you're young, rich, noble and handsome. I'm sure you will find a girl who will love you and with whom you will fall in love too."

Chad knew that he might never fall in love with anyone else. For him, Lucy was the one. But he did not want to say that to Demetrius, who was trying to comfort him. So the Lord of Daelhr smiled and said, "I hope so. I do not wish to live forever without love."

"What do you mean by that?" a voice asked.

The two men turned to see the High King standing in the doorway, seeming both angry and curious.

Chad inwardly sighed. This is not how he wanted to talk to Peter about this matter. "Peter," he nodded in acknowledgement.

And as the High King walked towards him, Chad looked at Demetrius. It took a couple of seconds but the old man got the message and stood up.

"I think I shall retire for the night," he said and bowed his head in respect. "Good night, my lords."

Peter waited until Demetrius was gone before he turned to almost glare at Chad, waiting for a response. When none came, he asked, "Why would you say that?"

Kayla, who had walked around the corner, stared at the two men. "You seem angry, my King," she said. "And what did you say, Chad?"

"He was just saying to Demetrius that he would not want to live without love forever." Peter replied.

Kayla walked up to Chad and sat down beside her brother, placing a hand on his shoulder. "What do you mean that, Chad? We love you, and I know that Lucy-"

"-No longer shares my affections," Chad cut Kayla off mid-sentence.

The two were silent for a moment after listening to that. Then -

"What are you talking about?" Peter asked angrily. "Caspian and I were just discussing how much she cares abo-"

"With all due respect King Peter, I seriously think that Lucy's affections have moved to her guard, Harry."

"What?" Kayla asked in astonishment. "Chad, that's crazy...you can't seriously believe that-"

"That she has moved on?" Chad asked in bitter amusement. "I actually can."

Peter narrowed his eyes. "Are you actually implying that my sister was _cheating_ on you?"

"I'm just saying that she no longer has any feelings for me."

"You better have a good explanation for your insane words, Chad," Peter warned, "I've told you time and again that I will not be very happy if you hurt my sis -"

"And what about the fact that your sister hurt me?" Chad asked, slight anger seeping in his voice. He took a breath to calm himself before continuing. "Please Peter, you do not know anything so do not judge my words."

Kayla looked intently at her brother. "What happened?" she asked in a low voice.

"I do not wish to marry Lucy anymore," Chad replied, "And I don't want anything to do with her."

"How dare you -" Peter shouted, taking a step forward.

"Peter, please!" Kayla said, placing one hand on his arm to stop him. "Listen to him first."

"Lucy loves Harry," Chad said. "And just to cover her feelings, she accused me of being attracted towards Alianna. We... had a fight, more than one actually. And when I went to speak with her, I saw her with Harry and they were embracing each other. After that, when I saw her, I told her that it was over and she could go to the man she loved."

"You broke up with her?" Peter sounded shocked.

"I did."

"Just because you _think_ she is involved with Harry?" Kayla asked.

Chad glared at her, irritated. "I saw it with my own eyes. And I'm sure that Lucy is happy that she could be with him now."

"This is ridiculous!" Kayla laughed in amazement at Chad's lack of willingness to listen. "Chad, I promise you that if we went to Lucy's room right now, we would find her in tears at the fact that it's over between you two."

"I agree," Peter cut in. "In fact, this entire situation is so ridiculous that I think we _should _go to Lucy's room and sort out this whole mess."

"No," Chad shook his head. "I don't want to see her."

"You will have to."

"It would be the ideal thing to do," Kayla admitted, "I mean, considering the fact at how you two have ruined a perfect relationship over something so small and silly, it would be nice to actually shout at the two of you."

"Look," Chad sighed. "I... don't want to see her. And it is just over. I don't -"

"I'm not asking you, Chad," Peter's voice was hard. "I'm telling you to come to Lucy's room so we can sort it out. I'll not have you break my sister's heart just because of some jealousy you feel." With that, the High King pulled the young man to his feet, not gently.

Chad winced and pulled away."I'm not going." he said, stubbornly.

Sensing the High King's anger, Kayla stepped in between them and took her brother's hand. "Please do, for me."

Chad stared at her for a moment before sighing. "... Alright," he agreed, unwillingly.

**[][][][][][][][]**

"I'm telling you, it is useless," Chad said for the third time. He was walking towards the Valiant Queen's chambers with Peter and Kayla.

"And I'm telling you to shut up," Peter snapped. "I told you that we will talk once we reach there."

Chad shook his head. "Lucy loves Harry," he mumbled.

"I don't think so," Kayla spoke. "She loves you, and you love her and the two of you are just mad."

Chad pursed his lips. It was no use talking to them about this. Maybe, maybe if Lucy just told them that it would be best to let this relationship end would they understand. But if she did say it, would he - Chad - be able to bear it?

And what if it was the other way round? What if what Peter and Kayla said was right? What if Lucy really loved him and not Harry?

_No,_ he told himself firmly as his heart began to swell with some strange feeling.

Was it eagerness? Excitement? Or hope?

Should he even dare hope?

No, he would not hope. Hope had mostly failed him in his life. It had brought him pain and darkness.

Of course, he wanted to be with Lucy. He wanted everything to be fine, but hope, when shattered, brought a lot of disappointment and Chad was not sure if he could handle it at the moment.

_Well, all will be clear in a few minutes now, _he told himself.

His heart skipped a beat - and the loneliness he felt without her filled him.

The three turned round the last corner, and halted.

The Valiant Queen stood outside her room along with her personal guard, Harry. Her hands were on his shoulder and the two were kissing, their eyes closed.

Chad's world seemed to stop.

As did his heart.

His breath.

His senses.

His everything.

Lucy was _kissing_ Harry!

He saw as Lucy slowly pulled away and stared into the eyes of her 'friend'. "You mean a lot to me, Harry, more than you can imagine," her voice was soft and full of emotion, "And I... thank you for all you've done for me."

Hurt.

Pain.

Anger.

Sadness.

And finally emptiness filled the Lord of Daelhr as he saw this.

Harry kept on looking back at her. "I'll always be there for you, Lucy." he promised her.

And Chad realized that he did not want to see this anymore. He just could not see this anymore.

It was too much.

It was just too much.

A small - _tiny_ - part of his mind wanted to see how Kayla or Peter reacted to this, but no. He could not wait and see that.

His mind was reeling.

His world was spinning.

And his fury showed him red.

He had to go. Or he would kill Harry.

He had to go. Or he would shatter completely.

He had to go. Or he would cry.

He had to go.

And the Lord of Daelhr turned on his heels and walked away.

A moment later, he heard footsteps and he knew that Peter and Kayla were following him. They were not going to confront Lucy. He knew that they were in shock.

But he, Chad, had to go.

Go and be alone.

And so, he sped up, and his feet carried him away. Away from Lucy. Away from love. Away, just away...

**[][][][][][][][]**

"... And so, as usual, Irene had to step in and stop the argument between Estella and Caleb. And then your pretty daughter scolded them as the big sister in an adorable way, which reminded me of you."

The High King sat on the couch in his room, listening to his wife while she told him about the children. From the corner of his eyes, he saw her glance at him with a grin. She probably expected him to react to her calling him adorable.

Normally, he would have - immediately stating that he was in no way adorable. Puppies were adorable, parrots were too, but he was the High King of Narnia - a warrior, a ruler. And he refused to be called adorable.

But that was the 'normal' case.

That day was not normal, and Peter's mind was not on his wife and her tales, but on his little sister - whom he had seen kissing.

The thought of her kissing someone made him angry - she was his little sister! - but seeing the man she was kissing actually infuriated him.

Harry?

Harry - Lucy's personal guard, Lucy's best friend, _Harry_?

And what about Chad?

What was going on?

Of course, he - being an overprotective, over-sensitive big brother - would normally have lashed out at Harry, threatening to tear him apart or at least bashing his head against the wall. And he would have shouted at Lucy, demanding an explanation for the inappropriate behavior.

But then again, the day was not normal.

And seeing Lucy kiss Harry had put his mind into a strange state of shock. It still ran deep within him, even though it had been at least an hour since he had witnessed the sight.

What had shocked him even more was the sight of hurt, betrayal and defeat on Chad's face. He had seen such emotions on his face before... he had seen many emotions on his face before, but there was something different about them.

Like it was the end of the world.

But then again, should Peter even blame Chad, or even question Chad's reactions, considering what the boy had seen?

A gentle touch on his shoulder brought him out of his thoughts and he jumped.

"Peter?" Isabel seemed startled by his reaction, "What happened?"

He blinked, realizing it was his wife and then sighed, shaking his head. He was not in the mood to talk.

"Is everything alright?"

"... I don't know."

"I've noticed ever since you walked back into this room," she said, but he barely heard, "You've been acting strange, as if you're thinking about something."

He didn't say anything.

And she kept on staring at him questioningly, knowing that he would speak up eventually.

Knock. Knock.

The tapping on the door of their chambers made the consort queen tear her eyes away from her husband. "Who could it be at this time?" she wondered.

"... Can you get the door?" Peter asked quietly.

"Sure," Isabel walked over to the door and opened it, blinking in surprise. "Chad, what are you doing here?"

The Lord of Daelhr smiled at the consort queen. "May I come in?"

"Of course," Isabel stepped aside.

"I just wanted to speak with the High King."

Isabel faltered. "I'm not sure this is a good time, then."

"Why not?"

"I don't know," she glanced at her husband, "He hasn't been talking much. I think something is wrong."

"I can't imagine what," Chad muttered to himself.

Isabel heard that. She raised an eyebrow. "You know?"

Chad looked at her for a moment before turning to the High King, "Can we talk?"

Peter's blue eyes were already on him. He nodded, standing up. "Isabel, could you please go see if the kids are sleeping alright?"

Isabel frowned. "But –"

"Please?"

She looked at her husband for a moment before politely excusing herself and leaving the room.

Chad stared at the now shut door of the chambers. "You didn't tell her?"

Peter shook his head.

"Why not?"

"I… will tell her," the King replied, "But I guess I am just in shock at the moment."

Chad snorted. "I know the feeling." A pause, "Can we go out to the balcony? I can do with some fresh air."

Peter nodded and the two silently walked out into the cool breeze, leaning against the railings as they stared at the dark sky illuminated by the full moon.

"Are you alright?" Peter asked Chad after a few silent minutes, looking at him intently.

The younger man shrugged. "I can't say yes, but I will be." He paused. "I expected this to be the reality, but seeing it with my very own eyes hurt."

"You might think that I am defending my sister, but I still think that there is something we don't know. The Lucy I know would never –"

"– The Lucy I fell in love with would never have betrayed me too," Chad interrupted, "And I just saw her throwing herself all over some man and kissing him."

Peter inwardly flinched as the image of Lucy and Harry flashed before his eyes, but otherwise remained quiet.

"Things happen, people change, life still moves on and you can do nothing but simply accept it," Chad laughed bitterly, "It was one lesson I had learned a long time ago. I should have remembered that; it would have caused me less pain."

Peter glanced at him sympathetically. "I love Lucy, Chad. And I know that there is some explanation of what we saw," he said slowly, "But it is true that whatever happened was totally unfair to you. I'm sorry that my sister is the reason behind your pain."

Chad shook his head. "It's alright. I've had worse."

"Have you?"

He thought for a moment. "No, but this equals the pains of my past," Chad admitted. "I can handle it."

"I'm sure you can." The High King agreed, hoping to hide the uncertainty in his voice.

The two stood in silence for a while.

"What now, Chad?" Peter asked.

"I'm afraid I do not understand your question."

"You do understand, you're simply afraid of answering it."

"No. I'm not afraid."

Peter raised an eyebrow.

"I did not come to you for idle chatter, Peter," Chad said evenly, turning so that he was facing the king. "I come here because of a reason."

"And what might that be?"

"I-I wanted to thank you for your permission to marry Lucy, but after what I witnessed, I doubt she returns my feelings."

Peter nodded with a sigh.

"I also wanted to thank you for the hospitality you have shown to me, my sister and my companions during our stay at the Cair," Chad went on, his face blank, "But my duties await me back in my city. There is much to attend to and it will only be done if I get back."

"… I see."

"I would like to leave for Daelhr tomorrow."

The Magnificent King stared into the young man's deep green eyes, and he could see that leaving the Cair and returning to Daelhr was not only the wish of the Lord of Daelhr but also of Chad - the Chad they all had known on a more personal level, the Chad who had always wanted to stay so he could spend more time with his Lucy.

And he knew the reason behind this.

Which is why Peter simply nodded, "As you wish. Do you think you will be able to arrange your departure in such a short time, seeing that dawn is only a few hours away?"

"I have informed my companions and my servants. The arrangements are being made as we speak."

"Very well, then." Peter paused, "Susan will not be happy that you all are leaving so suddenly. I'm sure she would have wanted all of you to stay and to also plan a farewell feast before you left."

"I see no reason to stay."

"I understand."

Chad took a deep breath. "There is another thing I wish to talk to you about."

"What is that?"

"I don't want to go and see Lucy," Chad began, "I doubt that I can control my anger in her presence. So, I thought it would be best to speak to you."

"About what?"

"I know that you might not approve of this, and considering the enormous amounts of threats I've received over the last five years, I might leave this room scarred as a result of your fury…"

Peter waited for him to continue, his eyes questioning.

Chad looked at him in the eye. "So, with or without your permission, I am officially breaking off the courtship between Lucy and myself."

Peter blinked.

"I shall not lie to you, I am absolutely disgusted by what your sister did," Chad went on, "But I do know that she is a queen of Narnia, and it would be extremely harmful if word of what we saw reached the ears of others. Lucy's actions must not weaken the respect or the hold you all have over your subjects."

"I –"

"Please, let me finish," Chad held up a hand. "So, it would be best if I am the one to break this courtship on account of the distance between where we live and on the differences between us that this has caused. I think it would save both my and Lucy's honor."

"You've thought this through," Peter noted.

Chad shook his head. "This is _one _thing I never thought of," he sighed, "You should know that."

"I think you should talk to Lu before you –"

"This relationship is no more," Chad's voice was firm, "I told you I'm ending it with or _without_ your permission.

Peter was silent for a while. Then – "You're right."

"You will inform her?"

"I will."

"Thank you."

Peter shrugged. "You are doing the right thing and I'm merely supporting you."

"… I should head back to my room. I still have to pack." Chad gave him a small smile, "Besides, I think it would be unfair to have Isabel sitting in Patrick's room all night."

"Alright."

"I'll see you in the morning." Chad said and walked away.

Peter sighed, praying to Aslan to make things simpler, and to help Chad control his anger. The High King had seen it in the young man's eyes. Fury - cold as ice, sharp as a blade, like moist black velvet - deep and dangerous - and it was the hurt of a man who had lost something that was very precious to him.

With one last glance at the dark sky outside, the High King walked back in, hoping to find his wife and explain everything to her.

He briefly wondered if he should go to Lucy.

_No,_ he decided. _Not now._

He would go and talk to her tomorrow.

* * *

><p><strong>Hey guys! CrazyKitCat here! I just wanted to say two things real quick:<strong>

**First, I'd like to thank the person who left the anonymous review on my story, saying that they had read the summary in this story. Your support means a lot to me and I hope that you and many more will continue reading and reviewing my stories!**

**My second note is not as happy :(**

**Because of all of the time that we put into writing this story, Ennarre and I have become really good friends. We put a lot of our time and effort into making this story the best it can be... Now, that being said, Ennarre has informed me that some readers have been PMng her, telling her how they don't like me or say that I subtract from the story, or whatever... That's not fair to her... I have an account where you can PM me if you have a problem with me... Please don't bring Ennarre into it. Your problem with me is between me and you and it's not fair to bring her in and make her upset about it.**

**To be honest, when we agreed to co-write this story, I was expecting some haters... Ennarre has a VERY loyal group of readers and reviewers and (as a fan, myself, for the past two stories) I knew that her fan base would be very against anyone who she decided to allow to write with her. I know that I would have been!**

**When I offered to write this story with her-before it even had a name or an idea of what it would be-I never in a million years would have thought that she would choose little old me to be the lucky co-author of this story. Then-for some reason unbeknownst to me-she chose me and that fact is not going to change... Just so you all know, I let her make the final call on all of the decisions. We debate different ideas and I let her know my honest opinion and all, but overall, she's the boss. I see it as, "Her series, her call...My different opinions are just taken into more consideration now."**

**We love writing this together and for all of those who like it, good! For those who don't like it, however, too bad... owe aren't going to change out plans for you...**

**Bottom line is that if you like me: Yay! That makes me happy that you've accepted me! However, if you don't like me, I'm sorry. I can't change that...**

**Either way, thank you for reading and I hope you liked it.**

**Until next time,**

**bye!**

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>VVV<br>V**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey everybody! Hows the new year going so far?**

**Thank you to the wonderful reviewers! You all are the best! **

**And here is the new chapter! :D ****I hope you all like it. Go on - read, enjoy and REVIEW!**

**Disclaimer: Narnia belongs to C.S. Lewis. DUH!**

**.**

**Desires and Destiny**

**Chapter 6**

**.**

"Why do you have to leave so soon?" Edmund asked, shaking hands with Chad.

It was the next morning and Chad and his companions were ready for departure. They had gathered in the courtyard of of Cair Paravel to say their goodbyes to the monarchs.

"Work," the Lord of Daelhr replied, "I cannot ignore it for much long."

"But you have been working here too, almost all the time."

"There are issues that demand my constant attention and I cannot turn my back on them."

Edmund nodded in understanding. Such issues always surrounded a ruler. "It is a pity I didn't get a chance to play any pranks on you."

Chad smiled slightly. "Another reason I should head back soon!"

"Smart boy," Caspian laughed, patting his back. "It was good to see you after such a long time."

"Indeed," Chad agreed.

"Look, Lucy is not happy to see you go," Caspian pointed towards the Valiant Queen, who stood alone, looking grave. "Did you say goodbye to her?"

Chad's smile faltered. "... No."

"Go on, then," Caspian nodded. "We won't stop you."

"I would remind you to behave though, for your own safety," Edmund winked at him as the two kings walked away to say their farewells to the others.

Chad silently moved on to say his goodbyes to Isabel, Adeline and Susan. Then he laughed and joked with the children when he felt someone behind him.

"You're leaving." It was a statement. It was a question. And it was an accusation.

Chad closed his eyes and took a deep breath before turning to face the Valiant Queen. Seeing her beautiful face brought back the pain he had shoved down. It had reminded him of her betrayal, and an image of her and Harry flashed through his mind.

Icy cold fury washed over him in an instant and he stiffened, glaring at her, choosing not to reply to her question.

She looked up at him with those deep brown eyes of hers, filled with sadness.

_What a hypocrite,_ Chad thought. _Why is she looking so gloomy? She should be happy that I'm leaving - that the thorn that stood in between her and the man she loved is now leaving._

She opened her mouth to speak -

- And he bowed. "Farewell, my queen," he said, his voice cold and clipped. He straightened up and without waiting for another second, walked away, leaving her alone.

He did not need to see her or talk to her.

He did not want to see her grave eyes - eyes filled with lies.

He could not handle it.

And he wanted to leave... as soon as possible.

He went over to Peter and nodded. "I guess this is it," he said, "For now."

The High King nodded solemnly. "It would seem so."

Chad glanced at the others. "I haven't told them anything. You will have to."

"I will," Peter promised.

"Thank you."

"What for?"

"For... everything, I suppose."

"Have a safe journey," Peter held out his hand.

Chad shook it. "Goodbye, my King."

**[][][][][][][][]**

"Come in," Peter said when he heard a knock on the door of his study.

The door opened and his youngest sister walked in. She looked tired - as if she hadn't had any sleep the last night - and troubled. Her eyes were slightly red and her hair tied up in a messy bun.

"You called for me?" she asked in a low voice.

"I did. Sit," he ordered, putting away the papers he had been reading and turning his full attention on his sister. "You have been crying."

She bit her lip lightly, not replying.

"May I ask why?"

"He left," the words came out of Lucy's mouth in a whisper, "He left and he was angry at me."

"That makes the two of us."

Lucy looked up at him in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Peter chose not to answer that. Instead, he said, "You two had a fight."

"We did."

"Did you accuse Chad of cheating on you with Alianna?"

Lucy blinked in surprise, and then a slight anger seeped into her eyes. "Did he _complain_ to you about me?"

"Did you accuse him or not?"

"Why didn't he talk to me about what I said?" Lucy asked. "He should have come directly to me."

"So you did accuse him."

"He accused me too," Lucy retorted, "He thinks that there is something going on between Harry and myself. That is just insane."

"That is what I thought when he said that to me," Peter told her calmly. "I almost wanted to hit him and I would have if Kayla had not interfered. So, I decided that it would be best to drag him to you and make the two of you clear out your misunderstandings."

Lucy opened her mouth to speak but Peter held up a hand and she closed it, listening to him.

"I could tell when we were coming to see you that deep down Chad wanted to sort out this problem. And well, I had decided on giving him a nice little lecture once we talked to you," Peter went on, "I mean, how _dare_ he imply that my sweet little sister would cheat on him?"

He took a deep breath. "But when we reached your chambers, do you know what we saw?" he asked, his voice going angry, "We saw you and Harry kissing each other in the hallway."

Lucy's eyes went wide. "C-Chad saw that?"

"Do you have any idea _how_ humiliated I felt, Lucy?" Peter asked her. "And the poor guy – he was hurt. He simply walked away, as did Kayla and I."

"It's not what you –"

"What the hell were you doing kissing Harry?" Peter shouted. "Lucy, I thought you were one of the most intelligent people I knew. And look what you did. I am absolutely disgusted by your actions! I thought you loved Chad."

"I do," Lucy insisted. "I do love Chad."

"Then _why_ were you kissing Harry?"

"Will you listen to me?" Lucy almost begged. "Please?"

Peter looked like he had a lot more to say, but he nodded once.

"I know what it must have looked like and I know that it was wrong of me to kiss Harry," Lucy said. "But it is not what you think. Harry and I are just friends."

"Friends who were kissing despite the fact that you were in a relationship with Chad?" Peter questioned.

Lucy took a deep, shaky breath and began from the beginning.

Her argument with Chad at the ball.

How she went to see him and how he was rude to her.

How she went to Harry and he told her to solve the matter by talking. How she had hugged him in thanks.

How Chad had seen it and misunderstood everything.

How she had gone to see Chad and how he had broken her heart.

How she had ran, crying and how Harry had comforted her.

How she had kissed him to show her gratitude to him.

How Harry had told her that the kiss was wrong.

"… I love Chad, Peter," she said in the end, tears now falling down her eyes, "And he saw me kissing and now he is even angrier than before. Is that why he left?"

"That is half the reason," Peter replied. "He was heartbroken and he did have work to do back in Daelhr."

"I wish he would understand that I –"

"Lucy," Peter said with a sigh. "What you did was wrong. I know you didn't mean to. I know your intentions were not bad at heart, but you have to realize that you were the woman Chad was courting – and if he didn't like you embracing Harry, you should have talked to him.

"I'm not saying that Chad's insecurity is justified. But I'm saying that every man has some expectations from the woman he is with, just like women have with men. You expected certain things of Chad, did you not? Similarly, he did. And if he wants you to fulfill those expectations, he was not wrong," Peter paused. "If you were not happy with them, then you should have told him that."

Lucy lowered her head.

"No reason is enough to kiss someone else," Peter said. "I know that. I made that mistake once and I know how much I hurt Isabel. I can understand what Chad is feeling and I do not blame him for it."

"I know," she said in a low voice, "It was wrong of me to kiss Harry."

"In any case, that doesn't matter anymore," Peter said. "Because Chad wanted me to let you know that he has officially broken up the courtship between you and him."

"_What_?" Lucy looked up, her eyes wide and filled with hurt. "H-He –"

"He doesn't want to be with you anymore. And I know that this is all based on a misunderstanding that should be cleared out, but I doubt he will listen to you or anyone else in this matter."

Tears brimmed her brown eyes. "H-He can't do that!"

"He already has," Peter said kindly, "I'm sorry, Lucy but I think it is too late to mend this issue."

"I don't want to end things with him, Peter," Lucy cried, "I love him."

Peter hated seeing his little sister in this state, but he did not know what to do. He, for once, could not blame Chad for what he did. But Lucy was also right in her own way...

Not knowing what else to say, the High King repeated, "I'm sorry." and prayed to Aslan to make things better.

**[][][][][][][][]**

Chad sighed as he rode his horse.

After their party had said their farewells to the Kings and Queens, Chad had immediately ordered that they move out so that they could get home as soon as they possibly could.

Chad felt slightly bad for not giving his companions a reason for their sudden packing. Kayla knew the reason of course so she did not object or say anything, but he knew that the others was confused and wanted to question him. A part of him was relieved that they did not ask while they were at the Cair.

It would have been difficult to answer.

How could he explain to them what had happened?

How could he tell them the reason behind his sudden departure?

How could he explain the urge he had felt to leave that city... to go away from the presence that pained him?

Chad knew that he had had no reason to stay in Cair Paravel anymore. He did not want to spend any more time around Lucy. His heart was still too wounded to forget the pain she had only too recently caused him.

As he rode, Chad felt Demetrius speed up to ride alongside him. The old man didn't say anything at first, but it was not hard to guess what he wanted to know.

"Milord?" Demetrius finally asked hesitantly.

"Yes?" Chad asked back.

"Milord, if I may," Demetrius started, but stopped, waiting for permission to continue. Chad only nodded his head in encouragement for the old man to continue. "Milord... Chad, why did we leave so soon?"

"You know why," the Lord replied indifferently. "I have a lot to -"

"Forgive me, my lord, but you were attending your matters from the Cair too," Demetrius interrupted, "And you had planned this tour. It would have been alright to stay there for another five days, as per the plan."

Chad remained quiet. Of course, as his counselor, Demetrius would know how much work needed his attention or how much time he could have stayed away from Daelhr, despite the strike that had taken place recently.

Demetrius too was silent for a short while. Then, in a low voice, he asked, "Is it because of the problems between you and the Valiant Queen?"

Chad let out a defeated sigh. "Yes."

"But how come?" Demetrius continued. "I thought that after talking to High King Peter, the problem must have been solved. Knowing the High King, he must have taken you to Queen Lucy and made sure that you two sort your problems."

_"In fact, this entire situation is so ridiculous that I think we _should _go to Lucy's room and sort out this whole mess." Peter had said._

_Outside Lucy's room - Lucy and Harry were standing, kissing._

_Her lips on his -_

_His lips on hers -_

_Her eyes closed -_

_Kissing._

_Her voice._

_Her words -_

"_You mean a lot to me, Harry, more than you can imagine." _

_Pain._

_Heartbreak -_

Chad gritted his teeth.

A moment of silence passed and he realized that Demetrius was still looking at him, waiting for his reply.

"He did," Chad finally said, forcing his voice to remain calm. "And I went to see _her_."

It was pathetic how he could not bring himself to say her name anymore.

Or maybe he didn't want to.

"So, is everything alright now?" Demetrius asked.

"I'm afraid, no," Chad replied. "Things did not work out between us and the courtship is officially over."

"The two of you made a fine couple, I'm sorry it didn't work out."

Chad shrugged.

"Like I said last night, I'm sure you will find someone."

"And like I said last night, I hope so," Chad replied, "Please, can we talk about something else?"

"Of course, milord," Demetrius said, looking around for a topic. Chad saw as his eyes landed on the carriage and the old man chuckled. "Lady Kayla won't be much happy with the fact that we are back on the journey. She hates riding."

Chad tried to smile, but he realized that he couldn't. His mind was still on Lucy... as was his aching heart. "Yes," he said, "I hope Alianna will keep her company and we won't have to stop in the way like last time."

"I doubt it," Demetrius said, "Alianna won't be a good company."

"Maybe you're right. Maybe I should ask Philip to get in the carriage."

Demetrius laughed. "Then Kayla would be begging you to stop so she could walk away from the non-stop nonsense my son talks about."

Chad chuckled, though it did not reach his eyes. "True."

"Ahh... isn't it girls who usually talk a lot? I find it strange that my daughter doesn't." Demetrius sighed, "I worry about her."

"So she is shy, I don't see why this is a cause for worry."

"_Shy_? She _barely_ talks to anyone. She prefers to stay alone in house. She doesn't have any friends at _all_. I think this is a lot more than being just shy," Demetrius pointed out. "No one would want to marry her if she stays like this."

"You're wrong," Chad said. "You daughter is a fine young woman. Any man would be lucky to have her as his wife."

Demetrius shook his head. "Men expect their wives to talk to them, to give them company. Alianna -"

"No man wants a chatterbox as his wife as well," Chad cut him in mid sentence. "I know I wouldn't."

That was yet another reason why he wanted to marry Lucy. She was a good company, talking to him about interesting things. But there were times when Chad wanted silence, and she respected that. She would sit with him silently, or just leave him alone, without taking any offense.

She understood him.

And yet she betrayed him.

The pain in his heart flared.

"Yes, well, you are different," Demetrius was saying. "I just want her to have a happy married life -"

Chad had wanted a happy married life with Lucy.

" - A husband who would love her..."

He loved Lucy. And she had loved him. It would have been perfect.

Waking up to her pretty face every morning.

Sleeping with her in his arms every night.

Having her as her other half, in his home, in his life...

Being truly bonded to her...

Broken dreams.

Nothing like this could happen.

_She cheated._

She loved Harry. Not Chad.

And the anguish he felt when he saw them together.

No more. No more was their love alive. It was dead. She killed it. She brutally killed it.

They could never be together.

"... And a settled life. I want her to be happy."

_Happy_.

Lucy and Chad would have been happy.

Her laugh would have brightened his life.

And she would have made him smile, made him laugh.

They would have journeyed happily through this path called life, as lifemates, as soulmates.

It was difficult to breathe now.

The pain, the heartbreak was clogging his insides.

He wanted to escape. He wanted to run away. He couldn't take this anymore.

He was hurting.

An escape.

An escape.

No, he would not dwell on these broken dreams anymore. He would not hurt himself anymore.

An escape.

Something, _anything_ but this agony caused by her betrayal.

"Demetrius," Chad almost gasped out.

"Yes, milord?" Demetrius asked, glancing at the Lord.

"If... If you t-truly care that much about who Alianna marries," Chad said, his voice gaining confidence with every word he spoke, "Then I would be honored if you consider marrying your daughter to me."

Silence.

A minute passed.

Another.

Demetrius stared at Chad with wide eyes, his mouth slightly open. "M-_My Lord_?"

"I said I would be honored if you would allow me to marry Alianna."

"A-Are you sure?"

"I am."

"But you and the Valian -"

"I had a past, Demetrius, and that past is over now." Chad said calmly, "I know what I'm asking and I am aware of its meaning and the responsibilities it would bring. I will not let my past overshadow my future."

Demetrius remained quiet for a minute, deep in thought.

Chad let him think.

Then -

"I trust you, Chad," the old man said with a smile. "I know that you are an honorable man and you will give my daughter a happy life and that is all I wish for her. So, I accept your offer."

"Shouldn't you talk to Philip first?" Chad questioned.

"You are Philip's friend and he thinks very highly of you. I'm sure he will be as thrilled about this as I am."

"... And Alianna?"

"My daughter has accepted the idea of an arranged marriage," the man told him. "I'm sure she will agree to this arrangement."

Chad nodded. "In that case, I thank you for accepting this proposal."

Demetrius smiled. "I thank you, Chad, for agreeing to take my daughter's hand in marriage."

**[][][][][][][][]**

Chad smiled as he looked around. The mansion stood as tall as always, atop a hill, with the city of Daelhr below. The height was not much, and Chad liked it. He was back home. He took a deep breath, admiring the city, _his_ city.

He looked around; he was standing in the huge courtyard, with the servants unloading the luggage from the carriages. Philip was giving instructions to take his and his family's stuff to their house while Demetrius stood nearby, gulping water from his waterskin.

Chad searched for Alianna, his eyes moving all over the place until he spotted her. She stood alone, as always, garbed in a plain dress of green, with her back to him, her golden locks swaying with the cool breeze.

"Chad."

The Lord of Daelhr glanced sideways to see his sister standing next to him. "Yes?"

"Are you alright?"

"Tired," he replied, "It was a long ride back."

"I was not asking about the journey," Kayla said quietly.

He shrugged. "I don't see what else could be wrong."

She sighed, placing a hand on his arm. The gentle touch soothed him, and she knew that. "So, this is what you're going to do?" she asked, "Bury your feelings?"

"I have not buried anything," he replied. "I will be fine, Kayla."

She wrapped her fingers around his arm, turning him so he was facing her. "You cannot lie to me, Chad."

He smiled. "I know that, which is why I said that I _will _be fine," he said, leaning forward to kiss her cheek. "The pain is raw, yes, but I have decided to move on."

She frowned. "What?"

Chad looked away, his eyes going back to Alianna. "All will be clear," he murmured and taking a deep breath, took a step forward, leaving his confused sister behind.

He walked over to Alianna, coming to a stop when he stood next to her, his eyes on her. She was staring at the sky, where the sun had almost set, and in her hands was a yellow carnation that he realized she had picked from a plant nearby.

Her blue eyes moved to him, and she smiled, murmuring a greeting to which he nodded before the two continued to stare at the sky.

"I assume you must be tired after the journey," he said after a minute.

"I am, milord," she replied, her voice soft as always, "I cannot wait to head back home and then lock myself in my chambers for the rest of the day."

"And what do you plan to do once you have done that?" he couldn't help but ask.

"Sleep, of course," she answered as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

He smiled briefly at her before glancing at Demetrius and Philip. The two were almost done with the orders, almost ready to go to their home, and were at the moment staring at Alianna and him. And from the corner of his eyes, Chad realized, that Kayla was doing the same.

"Before you leave," he said, shifting his focus back to Alianna, "I was wondering if I could talk to you about something important."

"Of course, milord," She turned to face him, confused and curious.

"Alianna, I cannot rule Daelhr alone. I need someone by my side. Someone who would not only support me, but be a good council for me." He paused, "I know you to be an honest and a loyal person and I think that you would be the perfect companion for me."

Alianna sucked in a breath, her eyes going wide in surprise.

Taking a deep, steadying breath, Chad pulled out a ring from his pocket and knelt down on his knees before her, holding it out to her.

She froze…

…As did everyone else in the courtyard.

"So, Alianna," he looked back into her blue eyes. "Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

Silence.

Alianna's eyes moved from Chad to somewhere behind him where he knew Demetrius and Philip were.

"I've already spoken to your father. He does not disapprove of this union." Chad told her, catching her attention, "However it is not their reaction that is important to me, it is your answer."

Alianna blinked, her lower lip trembling a little as she glanced at her father once more.

The old man simply smiled and gave a nod, and through it - his blessing.

Slowly, she looked back at Chad. "… Y-Yes," she breathed out, "Yes, I will."

Chad got to his feet, looking down at the ring in his hands. "May I?" he asked.

She held out her hand and he slipped the ring on her finger.

Alianna looked at the pear shaped diamond that sparkled in the dim sunlight. "It's beautiful."

He nodded in agreement before taking a step back. "I assume your father and brother are waiting for you. You should not keep them waiting."

"Alright. Have a good day, milord," she murmured and walked away.

Chad stood there, feeling hollow, as he watched the sun set. He could hear the carriage moving away. He knew that Demetrius had left along with Philip and Alianna, and now the servants were returning to their jobs.

And then he felt someone behind him. He did not bother turning. He knew who it was. "Kayla."

"Chad." She replied coldly, moving so that she stood before him. "What was _that_?"

"I just got engaged."

"To Alianna," she pointed out, "A girl you barely know."

"Yes, to her."

"Care to explain more?"

"Demetrius was looking for a suitor for Alianna and I asked him if he would marry his daughter to me. He agreed."

"This is insane, Chad!" Kayla said, as she ran a hand through her hair in frustration, "How could you agree to marry Alianna?"

"I did what I had to."

"How come?"

"I know I do not share the burden of my work with you much but even you know how the council has been pressurizing me." Chad said impatiently, "I need a wife."

"Yes, you do, and that is why you wanted to propose –"

"Don't say _her_ name!"

Kayla blinked at his rough tone.

"We both know how big of a mistake that would have been. It is good that I never got a chance to go through with it."

"Do you really hate Lucy?" Kayla asked in wonder.

"I do."

"Don't lie to me."

"I'm not lying," he snapped. "I hate her for what she did to me. You hate her for it too."

"Think of how unfair this will be to Alianna," Kayla said, changing the topic, "You don't love her."

"No, I don't," he sighed. "But I might, in the future."

"Can you guarantee that?" Kayla asked. "Can you guarantee that you will give her a happy life in the future?"

"I will keep her happy," the Lord replied.

"Out of a sense of duty," Kayla pointed out. "Not because you would want to."

Chad ran a hand though his hair furiously, just like his sister had done minutes ago. "What do you want me to do, then?"

"Step out of this arrangement."

"I gave Demetrius my word."

"You shouldn't have."

"Do you not approve of Alianna?" Chad asked.

"She is a nice girl and I like her, but…" she trailed off for a second. "I just don't want you to hurt her. No woman wants a loveless marriage, Chad."

Chad sighed and took his sister's hand. "Listen to me, Kayla. All of this is extremely difficult for me. Nothing is hidden from you, you know how I feel. And I cannot move on without your support and your help," he said, "You're my only family and I want you to help me. So, I ask you, are you with me?"

Kayla smiled slightly, almost sadly. "I am, always."

"That is all I want."

Kayla leaned forward and kissed his brow. "You will be happy, won't you?"

He took a deep breath. "I don't know."

"I want you to be."

"I know, Kayla." Chad sighed.

"I hope you are."

Chad looked away. "For Alianna's sake, so do I."

**[][][][][][][][]**

"Lunch time," Edmund looked at the many dishes laden with food as he took a seat at the dining table, "I'm starving."

"What else is new?" Susan asked, sarcasm lacing her voice.

Edmund shot her a glare. "Usually I would respond, but I am too busy thinking about where to start from."

"You can't start yet," Caspian said, "Lucy is not here."

Edmund groaned. "What is wrong with her? She is never on time for meals. Does she like torturing me?"

"Or maybe, she is still missing Chad," Adeline said slowly. "We all saw how disturbed she was when he suddenly left for Daelhr."

"He had a justified reason to leave," Peter said.

Susan bit her lip thoughtfully. "I don't know if you all noticed or not, but I think something is wrong." She spoke slowly, "I mean, it has been four days since Chad left and Lucy mostly keeps to herself. And even Chad seemed different – maybe even cold – when he was saying his goodbyes."

"I noticed," Adeline said. "Maybe they got into an argument."

"I doubt it," Edmund snorted. "Pete and I would kill Chad if he hurts Lu. Right?"

Peter looked at him evenly, but did not reply.

"You know something we don't, don't you?" Caspian asked the High King.

"Maybe," he replied.

"What is it?"

Peter took a deep breath. "Not now. Besides, Ed is not the only one who is starving."

"Thank you," Edmund said to his brother, "I thought we were going to spend the day talking, and forgetting about the more important things."

"_Things_ that include filling your belly with food?" Susan asked.

"Exactly."

Isabel stood up. "I'll go get Lucy and then we can eat."

"No," the Just King stood up with a sigh, "You women take a lot of time to do everything. I'll get her."

Without waiting for a reply, he quickly walked out, grumbling to himself about how the women will never understand the importance of food and what it meant to a man.

Seriously, did Lucy _not_ realize that this was the one thing Edmund looked forward to each day? The meal times were the only times that drove him to get anything done!

She knew that. She grew up with him, didn't she? So why make him wait and suffer?

He walked into her chambers without bothering to knock and looked around. He found her standing in the balcony.

"Lunch time," he said, walking outside in the open air, barely glancing at his sister, "Everyone is waiting for you, so come on."

No reply.

"Luce, don't make me wait. Come!"

Nothing.

"Everyone is hungry. Join us so we can eat."

Still no reply.

Strange.

Lucy usually would have shouted at him to shut up by now. Or followed him. Or told him that this was her revenge for his latest prank.

"Lucy?" Edmund frowned, this time looking at his sister closely.

Lucy's brown eyes were wide and staring at something he could not see. He could see that they were wet as well – though she was not openly crying. Her mouth was slightly open in what could only be shock and from her expression he could guess that something was wrong. One of her hands clutched the railing so hard that her knuckles had turned white, while the other hand was suspended in mid-air as if she was holding something invisible.

"Lucy," he began, concerned, "Is everything alright?"

She didn't reply.

He took a step forward and stopped, noticing something brown at her feet. She must have been holding it before it fell. Now more confused than ever, Edmund walked forward and picked it up.

With one last questioning glance at his sister, the Just King flipped it open and began to read, his own eyes going wide with each word he read.

_The honor of your noble presence is requested at the marriage ceremony of_

_Lord Chad_

_Ruler of Daelhr_

_With_

_Lady Alianna_

_Daughter of Demetrius and Thea_

_At the 'Fulton Manor',_

_On Friday, April twenty-four,_

_Time: 5 p.m._

* * *

><p><strong>OMG!<strong>

**Well, there is nothing more to say really, except**

**see ya soon with the next chapter!**

**- Ennarre and CrazyKitCat**

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	7. Chapter 7

**Hey everybody! I'm back with a speedy update! It's not the best chapter ever, but it will do for now... I promise a better chapter next time :)**

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**Now, go on - read and review! :)**

**Disclaimer: Narnia is not mine.**

* * *

><p><strong>.<strong>

**Desires and Destiny**

**Chapter 7**

**.**

"Why is Edmund taking so long?" Adeline asked with a sigh, "Now even _I_ want to jump all over the food."

Isabel laughed. "I know, and _what_ was he saying about women taking long time to do everything?" she smiled evilly, "I'm not going to let him live in peace for a while about that!"

The door to the dining hall opened and a servant walked in. "My Kings and Queens," he bowed, "The Just King requests your presence in the library."

"Now?" Caspian asked. "What about dinner?"

"He says that the meal must be skipped and you should see him there as soon as possible."

"Very well, you may go." Peter said. As the servant walked away, he turned to others. "We should go and see what this is about. It must be important."

"Aye," Caspian agreed. "If Edmund is ready to skip lunch then it has to be something _very_ serious."

Without another thought, the five got up and walked out.

When they entered the library, they found Lucy sitting on the floor cushions, staring blankly at the fire and Edmund pacing furiously. He stopped when he saw them.

"Ah, you're here," he said, his voice full of anger. "Come, sit down."

"Edmund, what is going on?" Susan asked.

"You'll find out in a minute. Sit."

Now more confused than ever, Susan and Adeline sat on the couch, Caspian dragged a chair for himself, Isabel seated herself on the armchair and Peter found himself sitting on its arm.

"Ah," Edmund smiled at a maid who had entered carrying some brown cards and took it from her with a 'thank you'. Once she was gone, he turned to the others. "These came for all of us a short while ago but since we were all gathered in the dining hall, they were delivered to our rooms. Lucy, however, was the unlucky one who got to read it first."

"What is it?" Adeline asked.

"Why don't you all find out for yourselves?" Edmund asked as he handed them out the cards, "This one is for you and I, this one is for Caspian and Susan, and this one is for Peter and Isabel. Lu's is back in her room."

Peter leaned over to his wife as she flipped open the card. There was a folded piece of paper addressed to him.

A letter?

To him?

Who would send it?

He slowly picked up the paper, and he recognized the writing as Chad's. The High King was about to unfold it when he felt Isabel let out a gasp of surprise.

He heard similar gasps coming from Susan and Adeline.

"What is it?" he whispered to his wife.

Isabel simply held out the card to him. Taking it, he slowly read the words written in gold:

_The honor of your noble presence is requested at the marriage ceremony of_

_Lord Chad_  
><em>Ruler of Daelhr<em>

_With_

_Lady Alianna_  
><em>Daughter of Demetrius and Thea<em>

_At the 'Fulton Manor',_  
><em>On Friday, April twenty-four,<em>  
><em>Time: 5 p.m.<em>

Peter looked up to see the shocked faces of his family.

Edmund was doing the same. "Exactly," the Just King spat, "I will kill him! How _dare_ he do this to my sister? I will –"

"I don't get it," Caspian was saying, "But Chad and Lucy –"

"How could Chad do this?" Susan was asking.

"This doesn't make any sense…" Adeline was shaking her head.

Lucy was staring at the fire silently.

"I will _kill _him!" Edmund's shout drowned out every other voice in the library.

Silence.

"He pretended to be so noble," Edmund went on, his frame shaking due to anger, "So intelligent, and this is what he does when he is courting my sis –"

Peter decided to cut him off there. "He is not."

Edmund turned to him. "I beg your pardon?"

"Chad is not courting Lucy anymore," Peter told them. "He broke off the courtship before he left."

Silence - shocked one this time.

"And you let him?" Edmund asked quietly.

"Yes."

"B-But Lucy –"

"Lucy knows."

All eyes turned on Lucy. Still not looking at them, she gave a tight nod.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Susan asked them both.

"We never got the chance to," Peter replied.

More silence.

"That still doesn't justify this _bloody_ invitation!" Edmund roared. "He has been gone for just four days after he broke my sister's heart."

"I'm afraid I will have to agree with Edmund," Caspian spoke up. "Chad cannot just break off a courtship that has been going on for five years now and send the invitation of his wedding four days later."

"He cannot break Lucy's heart like this!"

"Why would he do that?" Susan asked. "Everything was so good between them."

"And Alianna?" Adeline asked. "I didn't know there was something between Chad and her."

Peter sighed and looked at his wife. "Don't you want to say something?" he whispered to her.

"What can I say?" she asked in a low voice, "The more I think about it, the more I realize that Chad would have done practically anything to get rid of his heartbreak."

Peter had told her about everything that had happened between Chad and Lucy. And she had been the one wise enough to point out that both Lucy and Chad were at fault there: Chad because he should have some faith in his love, and Lucy because a fight is not reason enough to start kissing other men.

And Isabel was the one who told Peter that he had done the right thing by agreeing to the break up. If there was no trust in Chad's and Lucy's relationship, then it was better to simply end it.

"You should read that letter," she whispered. "It's from Chad, isn't it?"

He nodded.

"He only wrote to you," Isabel noted, "I wonder what he has to say."

Peter glanced at the paper in his hands and at then at his quarreling family members. "Handle them, will you," he murmured to his wife, "Make them see some sense. Don't let Edmund do anything rash."

"I won't," she promised.

The High King slowly slipped away, out of the library. He would read the letter in some peace.

The wedding invitation came as a shock to him, and yet a very, very, _very_ deep part of his mind told him that he expected something like this.

Isabel was right. Chad would have done anything like this to escape his heartbreak.

Walking into his study, the High King placed the wedding invitation on his desk and took a seat before opening the letter.

_Peter,_

_I hope you are well. I also hope that you have told everyone about the break up so that this might not anger them enough to want to kill me. _

_I'm sure that you all are in shock after reading the card. Believe me, deep down, I was too when I first saw it. I know you can imagine what happened – I proposed to Alianna, but you probably don't know why I did what I did._

_I need a wife, someone to support me while I work here. Being a happily married man yourself, I'm sure you understand what value Isabel holds in your life. I want someone like that in my life. Demetrius had mentioned that he was looking for someone to marry Alianna off, and she is a nice girl so I asked for his daughter's hand in marriage. I mean, I admit that I barely know her, but that is a problem time can cure, right? _

_I know you don't really want an explanation from me, but I chose to give it to you because you are a friend. And I hope that you will understand… you all will. In the meantime, I'm sure that you all must have been angry after seeing the invitation card, especially you and Kings Edmund and Caspian. I know that you understand the situation well and I'd really appreciate it if you keep Edmund and Caspian from marching into Daelhr and killing me, no matter how furious you may be with my seemingly rash actions. _

_It took me four days to actually find the guts to write to you. And now that I am, I realize sure, Lucy is the reason behind me meeting you all, but over time we've become friends and she is not the string that holds me to you all. At least, I hope so. I don't want to lose you all because of what happened. Which is why, I would like to invite you all to Daelhr for my wedding. _

_Sending you all the invitations was not meant as an insult or as a way to hurt your sister, it was a way to tell you all that you all are important to me and I cannot see picture wedding without my Kings and Queens being a part of it. _

_We've decided to have it three weeks from today. Kayla needs help with the arrangements, she is freaking out. And I'm sure Susan would give me a wedding to remember, if she wants to. Show her this letter if you want to, tell her that I would be grateful if she comes and helps with the arrangements._

_Please Peter, do come. I shall wait for your reply._

_Chad_.

That explained a lot.

With a sigh, Peter placed the letter on the desk too.

The question was, would he, Peter, go to the wedding?

Would the other monarchs?

And what about Lucy?

**[][][][][][][][]**

"Stop it!" Isabel said loudly after a few long minutes of listening to everyone's banter, "None of you is thinking rationally."

Edmund glared at her. "Did you not read what that card said?"

"I did," Isabel said.

"Then how can you –"

"Chad is getting married. Why are _you _freaking out?"

"He is getting married to Alianna, when he was with my sister not a week ago."

"Calm down, Edmund," Isabel said with a sigh as she stood up and pushed Edmund in her seat. "And please, use your mind. All of you should."

"What are you trying to say?" Caspian asked.

"I'm trying to say that all of us have known Chad for years now. The boy has been through so much in his childhood and that is why he is way too mature for his age, even now." Isabel said, "Do we not agree on that?"

"I don't see what this has to do with him marrying Alianna," Edmund said, he seemed a bit calm than before.

"Do we not agree on that?" Isabel repeated her question.

"We do," Adeline said.

"All I am saying is that if that intelligent and mature Chad is marrying Alianna then there has to be a reason behind it," Isabel spoke slowly, "We all know how much he cared for Lucy, how much he loved her. And if he has decided to break the courtship and instead choose Alianna as his life partner then there has to be something that justifies his actions. Think about it.

"I'm not saying that his decision is right or wrong. It could be, it could not be. I'm just saying that at least to him – these reasons would be enough to go on and agree to marry someone else. And that alone tells us that we should accept his decision," Isabel went on, "Maybe what he had with Lucy was never meant to be. I'm sorry, Lucy and I love you and I hate seeing you in such state, but that is how I view this."

Silence. Everyone pondered over Isabel's words.

"She does have a point," Susan finally admitted in a low voice.

Caspian sighed. "Why did he end this courtship, Lucy?"

Lucy looked at him and then at the others who were staring at her, waiting for her answer. Slowly she shook her head. "He had his reasons."

Adeline frowned. "What happened, Lucy?"

"I believe that we should not ask her that," Peter said, walking back into the room. "It is a matter between her and Chad."

"How can you be so calm about this matter, Peter?" Edmund asked. "I expected you to have your sword out."

"I wanted to take it out at a point," Peter said, "But that would have done no good."

"You _know_," Caspian said. "So does Isabel."

"Know what?"

"The reason. Chad's reasons."

Peter glanced at Lucy. "We do and we'd rather not share it."

"And you approve of Chad's marriage?"

"It is not my place to approve or disapprove. I am not his father or brother. I cannot tell him who he should marry and who he should not."

"And you shouldn't," Lucy spoke up, "If Chad has decided to go on and get married to her, then maybe the love he had for me is really gone."

"Lucy," Peter said kindly, "I know what you must be feeling. And I hate Chad for putting you through this but –"

"I know," she said quietly as she stood up. "I… I'll be in my room. I won't do anything stupid, but please don't disturb me."

With that she walked away.

"It hurt her," Adeline noted, "What he did."

"I know," Edmund said, "And I hate Chad for this."

"We all do," Peter said, "I, more than you."

"Somehow I find that hard to believe," the Just King glared at his brother bitterly.

"Just because I didn't shout or pace or swear does not mean that I don't feel Lu's pain," Peter said, dropping down on the cushions, "I'm just as disturbed by the turn of events as you are."

"What is that in your hand?" Susan asked the High King.

"This," Peter waved a paper, "Is a letter from Chad. It was in the card and is addressed to me."

"What does he have to say now?" Edmund asked harshly.

Peter placed the letter on the table. "Read it. You'll find out."

Everything was quiet for a long while as the others read the letter. Then –

"Was the reason of the break up really valid?" Edmund asked his brother.

"It was stupid and full of misunderstandings," Peter replied, "And both of them are to be blamed for it. But it is done now, and no one should ponder over it."

"And this marriage?"

Peter smiled sadly. "Chad made an irrational decision even though he doesn't realize it yet."

"I doubt it, Peter," Isabel spoke. "I don't think that Chad is unaware of the true meaning of the promise he has made to Alianna. I don't think that it is a decision he took in a hurry and even if he did, he must have still thought it over."

"I agree with Isabel," Susan said, looking down at the letter that was in her hands, "Chad is not stupid."

Caspian sighed. "What are we going to do?"

"I'm going to go," Isabel declared, "Chad is my friend and I don't want to miss his wedding."

"And Lucy?"

"I hate that Lucy is not the one Chad is marrying, but we have to accept that both of them are not kids anymore," Isabel told them. "They are grown-ups and they have seen many ups and downs in their relationship. If they think that it would not work – then maybe it wouldn't."

"She's right," the Gentle Queen said. "I, too, think that we should go. All of us. Besides, we don't want everyone to think that the kings and queens of Narnia have problems with the governor of Daelhr."

Adeline nodded in agreement.

"I don't like it," Edmund stated, "But I must admit that if we don't go, then rumors will start spreading."

"So we will go?" Caspian asked.

Edmund nodded slowly.

"I guess Kayla could do with some help," Susan smiled slowly. "The wedding is just three weeks away."

"We cannot leave the Cair for three weeks, Susan," the Just King said.

"Caspian and I could go there earlier and help them do the arrangements. And you all can join us there for the wedding."

"That will work," Isabel nodded in agreement.

The Gentle Queen paused. "But what about Lucy?"

"I'll talk to her," Peter said.

**[][][][][][][][]**

"Come on, Lucy," Harry begged. "Stop being like this."

"I'm fine, Harry."

It had been three days since the wedding invitations had arrived, and Lucy was sitting in the gardens with her personal guard.

"You're punishing yourself when it wasn't your fault."

"It was."

"Look, he moved on – far too quickly. And you will just have to accept that."

"I have accepted it."

"Then why are you being so miserable?"

Lucy rolled her eyes and smiled at her friend. "See, I am smiling. Are you happy now?"

"Your smile doesn't even reach your eyes, let alone your heart."

"My heart died a week ago, Harry."

He took her hand. "Lucy, please –"

"I will be fine," she promised. "Give me some time."

He nodded. "Alright."

The two sat in silence for a while.

"Harry?"

"Yes, Lucy?"

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"For being such an amazing friend."

He smiled. "Anything for you."

"Lucy?" a voice called.

The two turned to see the High King walking towards their sitting place in the gardens.

Harry stood up and bowed. "My King."

"Harry," Peter acknowledged with a nod. "How are you?"

"Fine."

"Good," Peter nodded. "I need to talk to Lucy."

"Of course, my king," Harry bowed and walked away, leaving the two alone.

"What is it, Peter?" Lucy asked as the the High King sat down before her.

"Susan and Caspian are leaving for Daelhr today," Peter said. "Susan is going to help Kayla plan the wedding."

Lucy stiffened but otherwise said nothing.

"Chad's wedding is less than three weeks away."

She sucked in a breath. "S-so?"

"So, as you know, we've all been invited," Peter said slowly. "And I want you to attend it with all of us."

Lucy looked at him. "I can't."

"I know, I'm asking a huge thing of you –"

"You are," her voice shook. "I love him, Peter, and you're asking me to go see him marry someone else. I'm not strong enough to do that."

"You're the strongest person I know, Luce," Peter said. "And I know you can do it."

"Why do you want me to?"

"Imagine all the gossip it will create if you don't go. Think of all the things people will say – that Lucy and Chad are not talking to each other, that the monarchs are not happy with their governor. People might go against us or against Chad, probably the latter," Peter said. "And we don't want unrest in Daelhr. Chad is a wonderful governor; even you have to admit that."

"He is, but I…" she shook her head.

"Look Lucy, just consider this as a duty you have to do," Peter said kindly, "But please, accompany us to Daelhr when we leave for the wedding. I think it would be better for all."

"… Alright," Lucy said uncertainly. "I will go."

Peter squeezed her hand. "I know you're strong."

"I can't believe that you asked this of me."

"I'm sorry, Luce."

"Would you have agreed to go if Isabel was marrying someone else?"

Peter blinked. "Perhaps not. I would have been too shattered to go," he paused. "But this is why you're the Valiant one amongst us. I wish I didn't have to ask you this, but this is important."

She nodded.

"Thank you, Luce."

"When do we leave?"

"We will go to Daelhr a day before the wedding," the High King replied, leaning forward to kiss her cheek. "And we will come back as soon as possible. I will try to make this as easy for you as it can be."

Lucy smiled. "Thank you, Peter. I love you."

"And I you, Lu."

**[][][][][][][][]**

**This is the end of this chapter. Nothing much happened, I know... **

**Oh and you all should read 'The King &The Sea' by CrazyKitCat. It's an interesting story and I'm sure you all will like it =)**

**Next up: the monarchs arrive at Daelhr. Da-da-da-dummmm...!**

**But until that happens, take care. And...**

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**VVV  
>VV<br>V**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey everybody! ****Well, this chapter kinda wrote itself, so I thought - hey, lets just post it. So, its almost the start of a new week - and here is my gift to you to cheer you all up! :P**

**Thank you to all the reviewers - you guys/girls are the best! **

**Please read CrazyKitCat's story "The King & the Sea". Its good! x)**

**Now, go on - read, enjoy and review. Please?**

**Disclaimer: C.S. Lewis owns Narnia. I just own the Destiny trio. Everybody knows that!**

**.**

**Desires and Destiny**

**Chapter 8**

**.**

"Welcome!" Kayla greeted the monarchs of Narnia with a smile when they got out of their carriages in the courtyard of Chad's huge mansion in Daelhr. "Did your journey go well?"

"Yes, it did," Edmund replied politely.

The others nodded in agreement.

Kayla's smile slightly faltered when her eyes moved to Lucy and her personal guard, but she was sure that no one noticed it. It was not seeing Lucy that had bothered her, it was seeing her guard – Harry – stand really close to her.

That was the man who had been the cause of the distress Chad had been through. Lucy certainly knew that, and yet she had brought him here to Daelhr. Why?

And why had Peter allowed it?

_Because Harry is her personal guard, _her mind supplied, _and he has to be with her. It is his duty._

"Susan!" Adeline waved. "How are the preparations going?"

"Pretty good," Susan, who had been standing nearby with Caspian, smiled.

"She has been a great help over the last three weeks," Kayla told them, forcing her mind away from Lucy and Harry. "I can't imagine how I would have handled all of this without her."

"Susan enjoyed helping you," Caspian told her.

Kayla grinned and turned to her guests. "Well, why are we standing here? Come in, please."

She stepped aside to let her guests walk ahead first. And that was when she heard a hushed conversation going on between the Valiant Queen and Harry.

"I will see you later, milady," he was whispering.

But the Valiant Queen took his hand. "Come," she said to him.

"But –"

"Come," Lucy murmured.

And he nodded slowly.

Kayla resisted the urge to raise an eyebrow and pretended that she had not heard the small, silent conversation. Instead, she silently moved back towards the mansion as well.

"Speaking of wedding and preparations," Peter spoke up, looking around. "Where is the groom?"

Kayla frowned as she realized that Chad was not here. Silly really, being so busy in the preparations of the wedding had actually made her forget about the groom! "I haven't seen him all day."

"Didn't he know that we are going to arrive?"

"He did, but we weren't expecting you to reach Daelhr for another few hours."

"Yes, well," Isabel glanced at the Just King, "It was wise to ride faster when after every two minutes Edmund would come up with a new prank that could be played during the journey."

Kayla laughed. "Well, I'm sure Chad will be glad to see you all when he comes. But you all must be tired. Would you like to rest?"

"Not at all," Edmund said. "Tea would be wonderful, though."

"I think we all can agree on that," Adeline chuckled.

"Great then," Kayla said, "To the living room!"

**[][][][][][][][]**

"You're not getting my horse," Chad said for the third time that evening as he walked into his mansion. He was tired and disturbed, and his friend was only making him more irritated.

"But why not?" Philip asked. "He is a magnificent beast."

"And that is why it is mine. Besides, I love Abaccus," Chad told him, "I will not let you have him."

"I'm letting you have my sister."

Chad paused and stared at his friend, wondering if he was insane.

"You do get to marry her, and she moves to your place." Philip said matter-of-factly. "So why can't I have that horse to fill in the emptiness Alianna will leave behind?"

"You want to replace your sister with a _horse_?" Chad asked incredulously.

Philip shrugged sheepishly.

Shaking his head, the Lord of Daelhr looked around. "Where is my sister?"

"Where is mine?"

Chad raised an eyebrow.

"Father told me Alianna was here for some last minute fittings," Philip explained. "So I should come back with her. He doesn't want her out all alone so late."

"Oh," Chad stopped a servant who was passing by. "Do you know where Kayla is?"

"She is with the Kings and Queens in the living room, milord."

Chad blinked. "They have arrived?"

"Yes, they were early."

Chad nodded. "Very well."

Silently, he walked towards the living room, Philip right behind him.

He felt bad that he was not here to welcome his guests, but he was away on work and that was equally important. Of course, he could have handled it by staying at the mansion too, but with Kayla and Susan – Caspian had smartly made an excuse and went to his room for a nap – talking about the wedding all the time, he preferred to go out. The preparations were getting on his nerves.

"Would you like some more tea, Lucy?" he could hear Kayla's polite voice as he neared the living room.

"No, thank you." the Valiant Queen replied.

Chad stopped in his tracks.

_She _was here.

Of course, Peter had told him in his letter that they all would attend the wedding and he had expected to see her… but now she was just steps away and he wasn't sure if he wanted to see her or not.

It would increase the pain that had not left him in so many days. And he wasn't sure if he wanted to feel that.

He had been trying to get his mind off _her_, to think about the fact that he would marry Alianna and have a life ahead with her. But _she_, she was always in his thoughts, in his heart, in his dreams...

Chad slowly walked forward and upon reaching the room, stood in the doorway. All the monarchs were sitting in the living room, as was Kayla. And then Chad noticed another person –

– and it took him a moment to make sure that he was not mistaken.

And when he realized he was not, his anger flared in his veins and for a second he saw red.

_Harry._

He was standing right behind Lucy.

Why?

No one else had their guards in the living room so what the hell was that man doing there?

"Anyways," Peter spoke up, "Where _is_ Chad?"

Chad blinked as he returned to his surroundings. Forcing his anger away, he said, "Here I am."

Everyone turned to look at him as he walked into the room, a smile on his face. Chad looked around, politely greeting everyone one by one.

In the end, his eyes came to rest on Lucy. "My Queen," he said coolly and decided to completely ignore the man standing behind her.

And while Philip greeted everyone, Chad walked over to Kayla and took a seat next to her.

"Forgive me," the Lord of Daelhr said, "I was not at the mansion. I wish I were here to greet you all personally."

"It's alright," Isabel smiled at him. "How are you?"

"Well," he replied in kind.

So Isabel was not mad at him. That was good.

When Susan and Caspian had first arrived, they had been slightly cold towards him. He didn't blame them, of course. But over the three weeks, they had grown pretty normal with him. He could tell that they were not happy with his decision of marrying Alianna, but they did not say so. Neither did they question him about Lucy, for which he was glad.

His green eyes slowly moved around the room.

Peter seemed calm and composed, but Chad knew that Peter was just doing this because he had to. Even though he understood why Chad had broken off the courtship, the High King was not happy with the turn of events.

Edmund, however, did not seem happy. The Just King had almost glared at him during their greetings, and Chad knew that he was angry. It was expected.

"Chad?"

The Lord of Daelhr blinked at turned to see Adeline looking at him with an expectant expression on her face.

"I'm sorry," he said quickly, "What did you ask?"

"I asked you if you are ready to get married," Adeline said, smiling slightly at him.

Good. She was not angry. She was not happy as well – but at least she was not angry. He could see it in her eyes.

Chad nodded slightly. "… As ready as I can be."

"You're nervous," she pointed out.

"Maybe a little," he admitted.

"How is Alianna?"

Chad blinked. "I don't know, I haven't seen her in a long time."

"You haven't?" she frowned. "But she is your fiancée."

"I've been busy."

There was a rustle of cloth on his right that made him turn his head in the direction. And he regretted it. On the armchair on his right was seated the one person he did not want to look at – Queen Lucy. And she was moving to get up.

"Let me," Harry said, taking the empty cup from her hands and stepping forward to place it on the table. The man then silently moved back to his place.

"Thank you," Lucy smiled at him.

Harry simply inclined his head in respect.

Chad gritted his teeth, his anger poking him, begging to come outside. He finally turned his icy eyes on the standing man, glaring at him. "What are you doing here in the living room, Harry?"

"I'm Queen Lucy's personal guard," Harry replied, "I go wherever she goes."

"Yes, but I do not see any other guards," Chad bit out, "I do not think you are needed here."

"I was ordered to stay, milord," Harry inclined his head in respect.

Respect?

Bah!

_What kind of a hypocrite this man is?_ Chad fumed. _First he kisses my girlfriend, stabs me in my back and then acts as if he thinks highly of me!_

Chad clenched his fingers. This man was really testing his patience. He opened his mouth to retort when –

"Harry is my friend," Lucy spoke up in a low voice. "I want him here. Please do not argue."

He stopped. Of course, she would side with him. Protect him. Defend him.

_Kiss him_, a snide voice in his head reminded him.

He decided to ignore it.

"I _know_ that," Chad told her calmly, looking straight in her eyes, daring her to contradict with his words.

She didn't.

How dare she cheat with him and then have the courage to look him in the eye right after she defended that man?

_How dare she?_

**[][][][][][][][]**

Lucy saw raw anger in his green eyes.

His calm voice and words portrayed his feelings very clearly. He still hated her. And her heart sank and ached.

She blinked and looked away.

She did not want the pain. Being here was painful enough.

From the corner of her eyes, she saw Kayla place a hand on Chad's arm. "Would you like some tea too?

Chad remained silent.

Lucy dared to look up at him.

He was staring at his sister, and a short unspoken conversation went in between them.

"It is still warm," Kayla said as poured a cup for him. "Just the way you like it."

"Alright," he said, accepting it. Leaning back, the Lord of Daelhr looked at the others. "So, I assume your journey –"

He was interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Come in," Kayla said.

Lucy glanced at the door to see Alianna stepping into the room shyly, halting when she noticed the monarchs. "My Kings and Queens," she curtseyed. "I didn't know you all reached Daelhr."

"We just came today," Peter told her.

Alianna smiled and turned to Kayla, "I'm done with the fittings you asked for. Is there anything else?"

"No, that would be all." Kayla replied.

"Alianna, I asked your fiancé this question too and I'm interested how you would reply to this," Adeline said, "So, are you ready to get married?"

"I guess so." Alianna replied in a low voice, glancing at Chad from the corner of her eyes, who was very interested in his tea at the moment.

"Come now, don't seem so hesitant. The wedding is tomorrow."

Alianna remained silent for a moment. Then – "Thank you for the wedding dress. Queen Susan told me that you designed it."

"Did you like it?" Adeline asked.

The bride-to-be nodded.

"Well, I think you'll look great in it. I bet Chad won't be able to keep his eyes off you. Right, Chad?"

Anger and sadness filled Lucy's heart when she saw Alianna blush and Chad look up, startled by the question.

"As per the traditions, I haven't seen the dress." The Lord of Daelhr spoke smoothly.

"Philip," Isabel spoke up, "The wedding ceremony is at your place, right?"

"Yes," Philip replied. "Father really wanted Alianna to get married in the Fulton Manor. He was really happy when Chad agreed."

"Is there something special about it?"

"Father says that our mother used to say that if she ever had a daughter she would want to see her get married in the gardens of our manor."

"That is very sweet," Adeline smiled and then glanced at the bride-to-be. "Your mother would be very happy to see you from the skies above."

Alianna smiled sadly. "I-I wish she was here," she mumbled, raising her hand to brush away a lock of golden hair that had fallen on her face.

Something glittered.

Lucy noticed it.

As did Isabel. "What was that, on your hand?" the consort queen asked.

Alianna looked down at her hand. "What?"

"It's her engagement ring," Susan replied with a smile. "I saw it when I came here. It is really beautiful."

"Really?" Adeline asked. "Show us."

Adeline stood there quietly, biting her lip, clearly embarrassed with the attention she was getting.

"Come on, don't be shy!" Isabel laughed. "Show us the ring!"

Hesitantly, Alianna held up her hand.

And Lucy's eyes went wide.

She did not pay any attention as Isabel and Adeline admired the beauty of that piece of jewelry.

That ring had taken Lucy into flashbacks…

_"It is a beautiful ring," Lucy had said, smiling as she reached out for the ring on his palm. _

_"Don't. Touch. It." he had ordered, his voice filled with fury. "It doesn't belong to you anymore, just like my heart."_

"Well, there is so much to do and it is getting late. We all can admire the ring later on," Philip stood up, "I think we should leave so that you all could rest. We have a wedding to attend tomorrow."

Kayla agreed. "Definitely. Alianna needs her rest."

Goodbyes were quick and soon, Philip and Alianna were gone.

The others were standing up too, ready to retire for the night.

But Lucy stayed where she was.

Her eyes moved to Chad, who was walking towards the door, talking to Caspian about something.

He had proposed Alianna with _that_ ring?

With the ring that should have been Lucy's.

And jealousy flared in her heart.

This was wrong.

She should be the one marrying Chad, not Alianna – who was a stranger to him.

And now that stranger was the one with that beautiful ring in her finger.

And Chad had given it to her… maybe with his heart.

_How dare he?_

**[][][][][][][][]**

"Are you okay?" Harry asked the Valiant Queen as she finally stood up.

The two were standing in the now empty living room. And Harry was worried about Lucy. She had gone rigid ever since she saw Alianna's ring – something that had not gone unnoticed by Harry.

He wondered what the reason could be, but when he had seen the expression of utter shock on Lucy's face and the praises of the ring coming from the queens, it had not been difficult to put two and two together.

That must have been the ring Chad was planning to propose Lucy with before their break up.

"Y-Yes," came the shaky reply.

"Really?" he asked, looking deep into her eyes.

He saw hurt, confusion, anger, sadness… her eyes were a sea of emotions at the moment.

"No," She sighed.

"You should talk to him," he suggested. "Let him know how all of this is affecting you."

"He hates me," Lucy said. "He will not listen."

"But –"

"It's useless," she shook her head. "I will not go to him."

"Are you going to stand aside, then? Are you giving up?"

"Giving up _what_?" she asked. "The relationship is over. He has moved on so quickly. Should I go to a man like this?"

Harry pursed his lips.

This was wrong.

Chad should not hurt Lucy – or taunt her, or even think of her as a betrayer. He should know how much she still loves him.

And if she refused to tell him that then he, Harry, would.

"Very well," Harry said out loud, "You should go to sleep."

"I will," she smiled at him. "Good night, Harry."

"Good night, Lucy."

He waited until Lucy was gone before walking out of the room and looking for the kitchens of the mansion. He had heard Chad say something about going and getting a cup of hot milk for himself before he left.

That was where he must be.

At least, that was where Harry hoped he would find him.

It took him a few minutes, and after asking directions from a maid, Harry finally entered the huge kitchens, letting out a sigh of relief to see Chad standing there – his back to him as he placed an empty mug on the table and then turned.

The Lord of Daelhr froze when he noticed Harry, flames of fury flaring in his emerald eyes.

It was quiet for a moment. And Harry vaguely noticed that there was no one else in the kitchens. Of course, it was late at night – the cooks must have left.

"My Lord, Chad," Harry began, inclining his head. "I want to talk to you."

"No," Came the short reply, full of repressed anger. "Just leave."

"It is important."

"I'm saying nicely, Harry," Chad said through gritted teeth, his voice extremely dangerous. "Get out, _now_."

"With all due respect, I will not," Harry said. "I want you to listen to what I have to say about Lucy."

He noticed how Chad stiffened at that. "I don't want to talk to you about _her_," he snapped. "And I'm saying this for the last time: leave."

So indifferent.

So harsh.

So mean.

Harry respected Chad because he was his superior and a good governor, but for a short moment, he couldn't help but wonder why Lucy had fallen in love with this man.

"How could you do this to Lucy?" Harry asked, "Can you not see that you are hurting her? Don't you even _care_ about –"

And a fist collided with Harry's jaw, hard. Harry's face snapped back at the blow, his mind reeling. Grimacing in pain, Harry looked around to get his bearings but before he could another punch landed on his face.

He stumbled a few steps back this time but was able to remain on his feet. He barely had a moment to think when he saw Chad charge towards him, taking big strides to cross the distance between them.

This time, however, Harry's reflexes kicked into action and his hands moved up to hold Chad's arm, keeping him from landing another blow. The Lord of Daelhr instead kneed him in the gut.

Harry grunted and his hold on Chad loosened, giving Chad enough time to free his arm and push him away.

"Chad!" Harry said as he quickly stepped away to dodge the oncoming fist. He was not fast enough, as Chad's fingers fisted around the front of his tunic and he pulled him.

"Don't you talk to me about her!" Chad shouted, shaking him roughly. And the Lord of Daelhr moved to punch him again –

Acting quickly, Harry moved to hold both of Chad's arms in a firm grip, keeping the enraged man from attacking him again. "Stop it, Chad!" he managed to say.

Glaring at him, Chad slammed his head into Harry's, sending him sprawling backwards. He fell on his back, the air knocking out of his lungs as his body collided with the hard floor of the kitchens.

But he did not have time to even inhale, for Chad was upon him, punching him again and again. And Harry waved his arms wildly, hoping to defend himself in vain.

He could feel a warm liquid trickling down the side of his face, and he could taste blood in his mouth.

"Chad!" he sputtered, coughing out blood as another blow landed on his face. "S-Stop –"

Another punch.

It was becoming hard for him to breathe.

The pain that had erupted with the blows heightened.

And he heard the sound of breaking glass.

"Chad!" he heard a female scream. "What are you doing?"

Harry managed to open his eyes to find Kayla holding Chad's arm as she pushed her brother away.

Chad managed to shrug his arm away from her and stepped forward, towards where Harry lay.

"Stop it!" The woman quickly kneeled next to Harry, still facing her brother and spread out her arms as if she shielding the injured man on the floor, "You're going to kill him!"

And that made the Lord of Daelhr halt.

He looked down at his sister, his face still contorted with rage, his fingers curled to form tight fists.

A moment of silence passed.

Another.

Another.

And then slowly Chad moved closer to Harry. Bending down, he clutched the front of his tunic and pulled him slightly above the ground.

"Chad," Kayla warned, her voice a mixture of pleading and warning. "Don't hit him."

The Lord of Daelhr glared down at Harry. "Next time, when _I _tell you to leave, you _leave_," he growled. "You should know who your superiors are."

With that, he slammed Harry back on the ground and walked away.

Harry blinked a couple of times to clear the haze in his mind. Grimacing in pain, he slowly pushed himself into a sitting position.

"A-Are you alright?" Kayla asked him as she got to her feet.

He nodded. "Thank you," he said, slowly standing up. "For stopping him."

"He shouldn't have done that," she said, "You're hurt."

Harry placed a hand on his forehead, right above his left eyebrow where he had felt blood trickle. "How bad is it?"

"Bad," she said and motioned towards a stood. "Sit. I'll bandage it up."

"You don't have to," he said, as he saw her open a cabinet or two, looking for something.

"I'm just cleaning up the mess my brother made," she told him, taking out a small box of what seemed to be medicines. "Sit."

Sighing, he obeyed. His face hurt, a lot. Reaching nearby, he picked up a silver plate and stared at his reflection in it and then winced.

There was a cut right above his left eye, blood oozing out of it. His nose was bleeding. His lip was split. He was pretty sure that he had bit the inside of his cheek pretty badly when he had fallen – hence the taste of blood in his mouth. What was more, purple bruises were already forming on his jaw and below his chin.

_Great_. He looked like a horde of people had walked over his face, and thanks to the injuries inside his mouth, he won't be able to eat without pain for a while.

Still he was thankful that his jaw was alright, considering the amount of hard blows it had received. It was actually surprising that it had not broken.

"Here, take this for your nose."

He blinked and put the plate down. Turning to Kayla, he took the icepack she was holding and placed it on the bridge of his nose, breathing from his mouth.

He saw as Kayla picked up what seemed to be a wet rag and cleaned the injury on his forehead. "Why did Chad hit you?" she asked him, her voice blank.

"Because I wanted to talk to him," he replied.

"You shouldn't talk to him."

"Why not?" Harry asked. "Besides, it was important."

She remained quiet, disapproval and irritation clear on her face.

"He needs to know how much he is hurting Lucy and how much Lucy loves him."

"Oh he knows _that_," Kayla muttered sarcastically.

"What?" he asked.

Kayla dropped the rag – that was now red with his blood – on the shelf and picked up a small vial containing a brown liquid. It was a medicine for wounds, Harry knew.

"Nothing." She paused as she picked up some cotton and poured a few drops of the medicine on it. "In any case, you have no right to –"

"I have every right and every reason to," he protested. "Your brother is hurting someone I care for–"

"Then you should go and _care _for her by being with her in this hard time," she snapped as she stepped forward and pressed the cotton to his wound, not gently.

He closed his eyes for a second due to the pain. Then – "I cannot see Queen Lucy in such state so I had to talk to your brother."

"Last time I checked you were Lucy's guard, not her lawyer," she said, dabbing the cotton against his skin harshly.

"I'm guessing you don't like me very much either," he snorted and then hissed in pain as she applied more pressure to his wound.

"Now, _what_ would make you think that?"

"Peace, my lady," he said, wincing.

"Hold this," she ordered.

He reached out and placed his fingers on the cotton, his eyes on her as she pulled out gauze from the box.

"In any case," she said, "Please, don't come to my brother again unless you want any bloodshed."

His eyes narrowed. "Are you threatening me?"

She dropped everything she was holding and reached out to pick up the steel plate he had used as a mirror. Holding it in front of him so that he could see his reflection, she gave him a flat stare. "Do I _still _need to?"

He pursed his lips, not replying.

Placing the plate back, she picked up the gauze. "I'm well aware of the extent of my brother's anger and I'm guessing that from this moment, so are you. Remove your fingers," she paused and began wrapping it around his head. "Besides, you ending up with a broken bone or two will not help anyone."

Gathering up the remains of his dignity, he muttered, "Who is to say that he won't be the one with the broken bones?"

She snorted, her expression torn between amusement and mocking. "I doubt it." And she tied the bandage – really tight.

Harry blinked in surprise.

_Ouch,_ he thought dumbly, _that is really tight._

Was she _trying _to stop the circulation of blood in his head?

Perhaps she was.

She stepped back and offered him another rag. "Use this for your lip," she said, picking up the things and putting them in their respective places.

Chad put aside the almost melted icepack and picked up the rag, gently wiping his lip and nose clean. Then picking up the two things, he tossed them into the bin before turning to Kayla, who was filling a jug with water.

He glanced near the door and realized that the sound of breaking glass he had heard while he was being beaten belonged to another jug that had broken. Kayla must have dropped it in surprise.

"Thank you, milady," he murmured.

"Do you know where you will be staying while you are in Daelhr?"

"Yes."

She nodded once and walked towards the door. When she reached it, she stopped and looked over her shoulder. "And Harry?"

"Yes, milady?"

"I don't want you to try to talk to my brother again," she said, her voice firm, "In case you haven't noticed, my brother and I are not very fond of you."

And she was gone.

Harry stared after her. "Oh, I _noticed_," he muttered sarcastically and decided to get some sleep. It had been a long day after all... and his mind told him that tomorrow would be the same as well.

* * *

><p><strong>So, liked it? Hated it? Comments? Feelings? Please do share.<strong>

**I'll start working on the next chapter and post it soon.**

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**Ennarre.**

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	9. Chapter 9

**Hey everybody! How are you all? I'm fine, knee deep in books and readings - and that is the reason for the time it took to update. But oh well, since I am here with this chapter, it doesnt matter now, does it?**

**So, CrazyKitCat is kinda busy these days so I'll be writing the next few chapters (including this one) - but she has agreed to be the beta for these chapters! :) Sadly, she is sick at the moment :( Could you all please pray that she gets well soon? ****And do read her story 'The King & the Sea'.**

**For all those who reviewed: thank you so much. I love you all!**

**Now, go on: read, enjoy and review! **

**Disclaimer: Narnia is not mine. Destiny trio is.**

**.**

**Desires and Destiny**

**Chapter 9**

**.**

A hand on his shoulder startled Chad and he looked up to find his sister staring at him. "Kayla, when did you come here?" he asked.

"A couple of minutes ago," she replied, sitting down next to him on his bed. "I knocked on the door but you didn't reply."

"Sorry, I was… _thinking_."

"I figured. You look," she tilted her head thoughtfully, thinking of a word that fitted, "Tired."

He chuckled. "I am; I barely got any sleep last night."

She ran a hand through his hair. "Why is that?"

He didn't reply.

She smiled slightly, deciding to change the topic. "My little brother is getting married today. I bet you will be the most handsome groom ever!"

"Will I be?" he asked.

"Definitely."

"And what about a good husband, will I be that too? I doubt it."

Her smiled faltered. "What?"

He sighed, looking away. "What happened last night, are you angry at me?"

"… I am." She replied, unsure with the sudden change of topic.

"Then why aren't you shouting at me?"

"Because it is your wedding day."

"And that is what frightens me."

"Chad," Kayla shook her head. "What are you talking about? One second you're talking about your wedding and the next you're talking about how you hit Harry."

"Don't you see? They are connected."

"How?"

"Didn't you see what I did last night?" he asked. "I beat Harry so badly. I couldn't control my anger. I admit that there is a part of me that is glad – I mean, I wanted to hit him ever since the moment I saw him kissing _her_. "

"You would have killed him if I had not stopped you." Kayla pointed out, her voice dipped in disapproval.

"Yes," he agreed. "I was blinded by rage. I would not have stopped and that is why I'm worried. I cannot control my anger. I cannot control my thoughts and actions once my rage takes over me."

"You've been going through a hard time, Chad," Kayla sighed. "It's just –"

He stood up, shaking his head. "It's not _just_ something. It is serious. I'm becoming an angry monster. And what is even worse – I'm getting married today." He took a deep breath. "What if…"

"What if what?" Kayla asked.

"What if Alianna becomes the victim of my fury?" Chad asked in a low voice.

"Chad, you are not like that."

"Who can guarantee that?" he asked loudly. "My father, Bryce treated his wife Ellyn like hell. He had her locked in a room. She was driven mad because of what he did to her."

He ran his hand through his hair, clearly frustrated. "And Estella. She died because of what her husband did to her. And her husband was my brother! As much as I hate it – Alfred was my _brother_!"

Kayla flinched at the name.

But Chad didn't notice. He had his back towards her as he went on with his rant. "That same dirty blood runs in my veins," he said, his voice a mixture of disgust, anger and worry, "What if I turn out to be like them too? Look at what Alfred did to you and to Estella. He ruined so many lives. What if I hurt Alianna too? What if –" He turned around and stopped.

Kayla sat on the bed, trembling with what he knew was fear, tears trailing down her cheeks.

And guilt filled him instantly.

It had been years, but his sister was still afraid of the memories. She still experienced the demons, the panic, and the fright whenever Alfred was mentioned…

And that is one of the many reasons why Chad never talked about him.

"Kayla!" Chad rushed over to her and embraced her. "Are you okay?"

She tried to nod but failed.

"I'm so, _so_ sorry for bringing this up."

She buried her head in his shoulder, crying. "I-it is n-not your fault."

"I shouldn't have –" he shook his head. "But I had been thinking and all these insecurities and worries are taking over me. I don't want to be like him."

"Chad!" she sobbed, still not looking up. "You are not like _him_."

"And who is to say that I won't be in the future?"

"You will never be like him."

Chad remained silent, just holding her close until she stopped crying.

"You are Chad," Kayla said, looking up, her eyes a bit red. "You are not that beast."

"Really?"

She nodded. "And you always say how you don't accept that family. Then why all this?"

"Because I couldn't control myself last night," Chad explained. "I wanted to hit Harry, but I knew that doing it would be wrong. And when he mentioned Lucy – I just couldn't control it. My feet moved forward and then next thing I knew, I was beating him mercilessly. What if I lose control with Alianna like that?"

"You won't."

"How can you be so sure?"

She placed a hand on his cheek. "Because you are my brother and you would never do anything like that."

Chad looked away.

"Do you really think that you would become the man you've _hated_ all your life just because you share the same blood with him?" Kayla asked after a moment of silence.

"… No," he mumbled. And he sighed. "I just… I don't know. I'm confused."

"How come?"

"I'm both happy that I beat Harry, but I'm also guilty about it."

"You can apologize," Kayla suggested.

"NO!" his reply was instant.

No matter what, Chad would not apologize. Not to Harry. Even though Chad was not proud of beating him, Harry had deserved it – because he was the reason behind the problems between Chad and Lucy.

Besides, Chad had been fair and told him to leave. Not one, not twice, but thrice. Harry should have listened and obeyed.

"Then you need to stop thinking about Harry," Kayla told him. "In any case, I bandaged his wounds and everything is fine for now."

"You're right," he sighed.

The two sat in silence for a while.

The Lord of Daelhr glanced at his sister to find her staring at the floor, worried. And he felt guilty for burdening her with his worries.

"So," he said with a smile, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. "Are you ready to see your brother getting married?"

It worked – A smile brightened her face in an instant as she turned to look at him.

"Yes," she replied. "Are you ready to get married?"

"I am."

"Any jitters?"

Chad paused, thinking. "Not anymore."

"That's my brave brother!"

He chuckled. "Would you like to have breakfast with me?"

"I'd love to," she smiled.

"I'll see you in the dining hall in ten minutes."

**[][][][][][][][]**

Chad was walking back to his room to get ready for the wedding when he noticed a lone figure in the balcony.

He stopped. Blinked. And then hesitated.

He should be getting ready for the wedding. They had to leave for Fulton Manor soon and there was not much time left. What was worse: Kayla was beginning to freak out – again, and Chad wanted to face anything but a freaked out Kayla.

He hesitated for another second and then with a sigh walked to the balcony. A few minutes won't hurt, would they?

"Hello, Irene," he smiled at the girl who was sitting on the chair with her elbows rested on her legs and her chin resting on her palms.

The blue eyed princess looked up and smiled. "Hi, Chad. What are you doing here?"

"I was walking by when I saw you sitting here alone so I thought I should ask you if everything is alright."

She waved a hand. "You're such a gentleman!"

Chad chuckled. The princess was the most amazing little girl he had ever met. And growing up surrounded by queens and so many nobles, she was turning out to be an interesting person.

"I'm fine," Irene went on. "Just bored."

"Why are you bored?" he asked.

She sighed. "It's a long story."

"I have time."

"No, you are getting married today."

He smiled. "I am."

Irene looked at him. "I always thought you would marry Aunt Lucy."

Chad's smile faltered. "So did I," he said quietly and took a seat. "Anyways, why are you bored?"

"I don't have any friends to play with today." Irene complained.

Chad blinked. "What about Estella and Caleb?"

"They are almost of same age and they always team up so it is me against them in every game."

"How unfair," Chad commented.

"_Exactly_. And they think I lecture them."

"Why would they think that?"

"They were thinking of climbing a tree and I stopped them," she replied. "I'm the big sister. I cannot let them get hurt, right?"

"Right," Chad agreed. Irene was just like her father when it came to her cousins or sibling. "Well, what about Patrick? You love playing with him."

"I don't like him anymore," Irene grumbled, crossing her arms as she pouted.

"Why not?"

"Whenever I play with him, he pulls my hair."

Chad laughed. "Two year old boys do that."

"But it hurts." Irene said. "And it is annoying."

"He doesn't know that." Chad told her, "Besides, every brother loves annoying his sister."

Her eyes were wide. "Really?"

"Really. Haven't you seen how your father or your uncle Edmund joke around with your aunts?"

"Do you do that with Kayla?"

"Occasionally." He replied. "I'm not much of a fun person."

"No," she disagreed. "I like you."

"I like you too," he winked at her and then pretended to be deep in thought. "If we both like each other, then why don't you marry me?"

Irene laughed. "No. You're big and I'm small. And you're marrying Alianna." She paused, "I will have to play Caleb's and Estella's unfair games at the wedding without Hadiya."

"Hadiya?" Chad asked.

"She is my friends," Irene told him. "She is really nice. She doesn't come to our palace much but when she does, I team with her and we four play."

"Do you?" Chad asked, smiling at the little girl who was telling him her tales so excitedly.

"Yes. And when Caleb and Estella don't want to play, Hadiya and I play and it is so much fun. Have you met her?" Irene asked. "She also came here."

"She did?" he asked. "I haven't seen her."

"She has small chores to do." Irene seemed sad all of a sudden. "And she will stay here because she is not invited to the wedding. So I won't be able to play with her."

"And that will make our sweet little princess sad," Chad guessed.

Irene pouted sadly and nodded.

The Lord of Daelhr briefly wondered how anyone could resist that puppy dog face before smiling and picking up Irene in his arms as he stood up. "Well, we'll have to change that."

"How?" she asked.

"_How_?" he laughed. "It's simple: who is getting married today?"

"You."

"Me," he said with a nod. "So I will simply go and tell the servants to make sure that Hadiya is ready by the time we will leave. I'm inviting her to my wedding."

"You can _do_ that?" her eyes widened.

"Of course!"

She cheered. "I love you!"

He laughed and kissed her cheek. "Me t–"

"Irene, Isabel says that you have to get ready for the –"

And the room was silent for a short moment.

Chad started at Lucy.

And Lucy – who had come to call Irene – stared at the Lord of Daelhr.

Then, Chad slowly let Irene down and the girl ran out of the room, excited now, leaving him and the Valiant Queen alone.

Lucy was ready for the event, he noted. The strapless red gown that fell to her feet, her brown locks tied in a bun with a shiny clip, a simple necklace - she was gorgeous (**A/N:** Link to the picture of the dress in profile). Her brown eyes were full of emotion, her pink lips still parted as she stood there in a slight shock...

His heart ached to see her.

Everything was wrong.

Things shouldn't be like this.

Lucy shouldn't be in love with Harry.

Chad shouldn't be marrying Alianna.

And the two of them shouldn't be so far away from each other… so _distant_.

But just because things shouldn't be like this didn't mean that they weren't.

Lucy was in love with Harry. And she cheated on Chad.

Chad was marrying Alianna – he will, he _will_ fulfill his promise to Demetrius.

And they were no longer together. And that was not his fault.

When he had walked to her room with Peter and Kayla that day, he had seemed nonchalant from the outside, but deep down inside he had been hoping. He had promised himself that the minute he saw Lucy, he would tell her to forget everything. He would tell her how much he loved her. He would tell her to kiss him if she loved him back.

And a part of him was sure that she would - but that part was proven wrong when he had seen her kissing Harry.

She had cheated. And he had left her.

Simple as that. And now, nothing could change that.

With fire burning in his eyes, Chad glared at Lucy for another moment before walking past her and back towards his room to get ready for his wedding.

This was not the time to think about Lucy.

**[][][][][][][][]**

Lucy looked around, continuously telling herself to keep on smiling no matter how hard it felt. She was standing in the huge gardens of the Fulton Manor that were decorated beautifully for the wedding of the Lord of Daelhr and Alianna.

The sky was clear and a soft breeze blew. The decorations were lovely. The guests stood in small groups – chatting merrily.

Lucy eyed her brothers, who were standing with a few men, talking about who knows what. Caspian and Susan stood nearby talking to a couple. Isabel and Adeline were talking to Estella who seemed to be complaining about her Edmund calling her 'Stella' again. Kayla was talking to a few servants, no doubt about the remaining of the arrangements.

The Valiant Queen sighed. She was standing alone on one side, trying her best to do her duty – which was to attend the wedding and seem normal. Whenever a guest came to her, she politely replied and talked, but otherwise was content to stand alone.

A laugh caught Lucy's attention and she turned her head to look at Chad, who was standing, talking to a small group of nobles who sat there. His green eyes were filled with glee at something that had been said and then he turned to Philip – his best man – and slapped him on his back.

Lucy inspected him closely. She had seen him before at the mansion, when he had been with Irene but he had left without a word. He still hated her. And then she had seen him getting into the carriage for the wedding.

He looked handsome, without any doubt. Dressed in formal robes of black, with his hair combed – and still having a messy edge to them – and the aura of nobility that surrounded him, the Lord of Daelhr looked extremely graceful.

And that made Lucy's heart ache.

It hurt to see Chad as the groom at a wedding that was not hers. She had always imagined him to be her groom, to be her other-half. She had always wanted to get married to him.

But now… look at what was happening.

Everything was wrong.

With a sigh, Lucy looked away and froze.

She spotted Harry standing far away, his head lowered, trying to act as if he was invisible. But even from the distance, Lucy could see his head bandaged, his jaw bruised and his lip was clearly hurt too.

_What happened? _She wondered. This was the first time she had seen him since last night and he had been absolutely fine then.

She walked over to him. "Harry!"

He glanced at her and bowed. "My Queen."

"Harry, what –"

"Ah, Queen Lucy," a woman came up to her. "How are you?"

Lucy glanced at Harry before turning to her and greeting her. "I'm fine and you."

"Perfectly fine," the woman smiled. "You look beautiful."

"Thank you."

"It must be hard for you to be here, right, after you and Lord Chad have courted for such a long time?"

Lucy stiffened. "We're friends and I wish him well for his future." She replied sweetly. "Excuse me."

She turned and motioned to Harry to follow her. "Harry, what hap –"

"Later," he said quietly, "Right now, there are lots of people around who want to talk to you and I think it would be inappropriate if you keep your attention fixed on me."

Lucy glanced at Chad, who seemed happy here at his wedding, then back at Harry. She took his hand and dragged him towards the manor.

"What are you doing?" Harry asked.

"You're right, we cannot talk in front of all the people."

"But –"

She hushed him up as the two entered the manor, which was bustling with servants, and walked down the hallway, looking for a place where they could talk in peace.

"Have you been here before?" Harry asked her.

"No." she came to a stop by the staircase. "Now, may I ask you –?"

Footsteps.

She groaned.

"We can talk later," Harry told her. "We should head back."

She shook her head as she started up the stairs. "I don't want to go back unless I have to. That open garden is suffocating me."

"Lucy –"

"Please, Harry! It is harder than I thought. The decorations, the guests, everything..." she shook her head. "This is real and I don't like it at all."

He remained quiet.

The climbed up the three flights of stairs and Lucy dragged him into the first room on the right.

It was a bedroom, lavishly decorated with heavy wooden furniture. A huge window on one side overlooked the back side of the estate.

"Where are we?" he asked.

"I have no idea," she replied and then turned to face him. "Now, tell me what happened to you."

"Nothing," he lied.

She gave him a flat stare before placing her fingers on a bruise and pressing lightly.

He winced. "Alright, I… got into a fight."

"With whom?"

"It doesn't matter," he told her.

"It does," she said firmly. "Who did this to you?"

Harry hesitated and then in a low voice said one name. "Chad."

Lucy blinked in surprise. "Chad _hit_ you?" shock and anger seeped into his voice. "Why?"

"Because I went to tell him how much he was hurting you," he mumbled.

"Oh, Harry…" Lucy began. "You shouldn't have."

He remained quiet.

She sighed. "If Chad doesn't realize that I really love him and that he is hurting me through his actions, then maybe he doesn't love me. And if he doesn't, then I have no right in going to him and telling him all this."

"I didn't like seeing you so sad."

She smiled. "How can I be so sad when I have such an amazing friend?"

He smiled too.

"But it was wrong of Chad to hit you," Lucy said, her smile vanishing. "I'll talk to him."

"You don't have to."

She shook her head. "I will. And I want you to stay out of this. Is that clear?"

She could see that Harry did not like the idea, but he nodded because he understood the order.

"Is this why I didn't see you since the morning?" she questioned. "You wanted to hide your injuries?"

"That is part of the reason," he mumbled. "I was assigned some minor other duties too."

"Well, you should have –" And Lucy stopped, her eyes going wide. "Do you hear that?"

Harry was silent for a moment before his eyes went wide too. "Footsteps," he said.

"Someone is coming."

"And we are in this bedroom, just the two of us," he said, worried. "We cannot be seen like this. It is highly inappropriate."

She bit her lip, nodding in agreement. She didn't care what others thought, but even she knew that being found like this in a room with her bodyguard was highly inappropriate.

"It's too late to leave," Harry said, looking around and grasping her hand. "We have to hide."

With that, he dragged her to the huge closet and opened the door. She quickly got in, hiding herself behind the hanging clothes that clearly belonged to a man, and moved so that there was enough space for Harry. Once he was in, he quietly shut the door of the closet.

It was extremely uncomfortable, Lucy realized. Her body was pressed against Harry's and her face was really close to his.

She held her breath when she heard the door of the room open and someone step in.

From the tiny opening in the closet door, she peeked to see who it was. Next to her, she felt Harry do the same.

Philip moved towards the bed, whistling a tune, and opened the drawer of the bedside table. He picked something up, closed it and then turned. He blinked in surprise and then smiled. "What are you doing here, father?"

"I wanted to ask you the same thing," a voice she recognized as Demetrius' said, and a moment later, the old man walked into her view as well. "The ceremony will begin in an hour."

"I just came here to get the wedding rings. As the best man, it is my duty to take care of them."

Wedding rings. _Chad's_ wedding rings…

The rings that would bind Chad and Alianna to each other…

"Isn't it great, father?" Philip was asking. "This day is finally here. We've been waiting for it for a long time now."

"Indeed, my boy. Today, Alianna will finally become the Lady of Daelhr."

"I, frankly, never thought that Chad would ever agree to marry my sister, considering how madly he was in love with Lucy…" Philip shook his head.

Lucy's heart skipped a beat as broken dreams came to her, making her insides hurt even more. The loss of what could have been washed over her.

Philip was smirking. "… But I guess we have to thank our Valiant Queen for making it all possible."

Lucy frowned. _What_?

"Yes, yes, the foolish girl went on and kissed her pathetic guard," Demetrius said. "And then it was too easy to take advantage of Chad's anger and make him accept the proposal of Alianna's marriage to him."

"And once my sister becomes Chad's wife, it will be too easy carrying out our plan ahead," Philip said. "I don't think it will be long before the rule of Daelhr is in our hands, father."

Lucy's eyes widened.

The world seemed to stop and Philip's words echoed in her ears.

_What?_

"Quiet, Philip!" Demetrius scolded. "Even the walls have ears."

"No one is going to hear us here," Philip shrugged.

"True, but we must still be wary," the old man said. "We don't want anyone to know our true intentions. That would be a thorn in our path to success."

Philip nodded in agreement after a moment of thought. "We don't want that. Not now, when we have waited so long for our revenge," he turned away, his face contorted in anger. "Chad will pay – he will pay for what he did. I will make him fall on his knees and beg for mercy, beg for forgiveness for what he did to our family."

"We will, my son, and even then I will not forgive him," Demetrius said. "But for that, I want you to control your anger. Be patient – that time will come when we will strike down our beloved Lord of Daelhr."

"And I cannot wait for it!"

"Today, he will just take the first step that will lead him to his doom."

"Everything is great, isn't it?

Demetrius nodded. "You must hurry downstairs and join the party. Your sister is marrying your best friend, after all."

"Indeed. I'm so _happy_." Philip rolled his eyes while the words full of sarcasm left his mouth.

"Hush," Demetrius ordered, "I can hear someone coming."

The two grew silent for a moment, staring at where the door was. Sure enough, a moment later a maid walked in.

"Milords," she bowed. "Lady Alianna sent me here."

"Is she ready?" Demetrius asked.

"No, milord," she replied. "Her hair have been styled but she refused to get dressed and get ready any more."

"Why?"

Lucy could detect hints of anger in Philip's voice when he asked that question.

"I-I don't know," the maid spoke. "She requests your presence. I think she is nervous. It must be the wedding jitters."

"Very well," Demetrius said. "You may go."

The two were silent till she left and then –

"What is wrong with that girl?" Philip growled. "Does she not know how important this marriage is for our plan to work?"

"I'm sure she does," Demetrius replied calmly. "We've explained it to her in much detail."

"I doubt she even heard us father! The girl is a stone – she doesn't react to anything."

"Now, now, Philip," Demetrius said disapprovingly. "Don't say such things about your sister. She is intelligent and she understands what we all must do."

"Then why is she not ready when her wedding is barely an hour away?"

"I'm sure it is what the servant girl said – wedding jitters," Demetrius said. "She is, after all, getting married to a man she doesn't know much about."

Philip shook her head. "I'll go see her and put some sense into her." With that, he began moving towards the door and out of Lucy's vision.

"Philip?"

"Yes, father?"

"Don't be too hard on her. She is just a young girl."

"… Yes, father."

Silence.

Demetrius looked around the room. Sighed. And then walked towards the door; a few moments later they heard the door shut.

They waited.

No sound.

And then, slowly, Harry opened the door of the closet and stepped out, Lucy following him.

She let out a breath. "Did you hear them?"

He nodded, still seeming shocked by what they had heard.

"It is a trap and they do not mean well."

"Who would have thought that they were plotting against Chad?" Harry asked quietly. "They were his most trusted companions."

"I will not let them hurt Chad. I will not let them succeed."

He moved towards the door.

Lucy still tried to swallow the shock, but it was so difficult. Demetrius and Philip and Alianna?

These people wanted some sort of revenge from Chad. What had Chad done to offend them?

And an even more important question: what was their plan?

Lucy knew nothing of their motives and she couldn't think of any reason behind this hatred.

However, all of these questions left her mind when she heard the four words Harry spoke next.

"The door is locked."

"What?" she asked, trying her best to keep her voice from getting too loud.

"Demetrius must have locked it when he left."

"No, no, _no_!" Lucy said rushing forward and trying to open it. It didn't budge. "We have to open it."

Harry ran a hand on the surface. "It is made of pure wood. I doubt I'll be able to break it open."

"Do you think the key is in the room?"

Harry shook his head. "The door has been locked with the key. Demetrius must have it."

"What about a spare key?"

"I doubt it, but we'll have to search the entire room for a key that might or might not exist," Harry told her. "I don't think we have enough time. The wedding is in less than an hour."

Lucy groaned, her eyes moving around the room until they came to rest on the window. "The window!"

"No," he took her arm. "We're on the third story of the manor, and look outside – there is no branch or tree nearby that might help us in getting down."

"We have to get out of here, Harry. We cannot stay here."

"I know," he told her. "Let me think."

"We don't have time to think!" Lucy exclaimed, her voice a mixture of anger and desperation. "We have to get out of here as soon as possible. I'm going to stop this wedding."

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><p><strong>*GASP*<strong>

**What's going to happen next? Only the next chapter will tell... which will come soon.**

**Until then, have fun! :)**

**- Ennarre**

**Oh and**

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	10. Chapter 10

**Hey everybody! **

**Here I am with a quick update - its short, but oh well... I hope you all like this chapter. I'm working on the next and I'll put it up as soon as I'm done with it. ****I'll be posting a couple of links to the pictures in my profile, do check them out if you want to.**

**Thank you to all those reviewers! =D I'm glad you all liked this story and I know you've been waiting for the next chapter so here it is! Go on, read and review! xD**

**Disclaimer: Narnia is not mine.**

**.**

**Desires and Destiny**

**Chapter 10**

**.**

Chad stood at the altar, feeling hollow despite the beautiful decorations that surrounded him. He glanced at the manor that loomed over the huge gardens, where the wedding was supposed to take place. The remodelled castle that had been transformed many years ago into the Fulton Manor had vines growing over all of the outer walls of the building. (**A/N:** Link in the profile.)

The green colors of the vines led his eyes down to the gardens that surrounded him. Flowers bloomed around all the edges of the garden. The grass was neatly trimmed and the guests were all seated in rows, staring at him.

In the front row on the right were Caspian, Susan, Isabel, Peter and Adeline – They all looked supportive of him. Edmund, who sat next to Adeline, didn't but he wasn't that angry anymore. He just seemed disappointed, like he wished that this was not happening.

The Lord of Daelhr knew that the five monarchs would be there for him even though they did not approve of his decision. Even though they were not happy about what happened with _her_…

_Don't go there_, he warned his mind and then smiled at the princes and the princesses of Narnia who were also there.

Irene and Estella seemed excited and amazed. Patrick was in Isabel's lap, playing with his mother's auburn locks, unaware of the event he was attending. Caleb simply looked bored… and maybe a little grumpy. Chad had heard the boy complain to his father about being at a wedding – which according to a storybook was a very girlish thing.

Stifling a chuckle at that, Chad looked at Kayla, who smiled at him, her eyes shining with understanding and love.

He smiled back before moving on to look at his best man and his best friend, Philip, who gave him a thumbs-up.

Chad's eyes searched for one particular person, but she was not here. He didn't expect her to be.

Why was he searching for her when he was just about to get married?

Why was he getting married?

And even more, was it the right thing to do?

_Get a grip on yourself,_ he told himself firmly. _This is not the time to have second thoughts about the wedding._

But he couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. Something was definitely very wrong and he just couldn't put his finger on it.

"Are you ready, my boy? Demetrius, who was standing nearby, whispered. The old man was going to marry him and Alianna off.

"Yes." Chad replied.

Then everything got quiet as the guests turned their heads. Slow music began to play and he heard people gasp. Whispers of the beauty of the bride reached his ears.

But he didn't care. Well he did, but not that much. He didn't want to look at her, not yet, not now.

Should he be marrying her then?

_Turn_, he ordered himself.

And he obeyed his own order.

Slowly, he turned and his green eyes moved to the bride. And he couldn't help but agree with everyone.

Alianna looked beyond beautiful. Her blonde hair was tied in an elegant bun with a few locks hanging loose. Her white dress was strapless, flowing to the floor with a train that followed her every step. There was a single white ribbon crisscrossing over her bodice, making her curves prominent. She wore no veil to hide her face. (**A/N:** Link in the profile.).

Everywhere she stepped, there were red and orange rose petals were strewn down the aisle, leading her to her groom. In her hands, she held a lovely bouquet that featured the red and orange roses that matched the eccentric colors of the aisle. The bouquet was accented with green leaves and purples violets that grew in the garden around them.

A nervous smile on her face, Alianna's blue eyes moved from Chad to her brother and father and then back again.

She was gorgeous. And she would be his.

Then why was he not happy? Why did he still think that something lacked in the perfect beauty who was walking towards him.

And then, Chad realized with a jolt that he was searching for Lucy in that face.

_Stop it_, he told himself. _She lied to you. She broke your heart. She doesn't love you._

He forced himself to focus on Alianna as she stopped next to him, her eyes now on her father.

A moment of silence passed.

And something twanged in Chad's heart. Something was not right.

_But what?_

"Dear all," Demetrius began, his voice loud and clear, "We are here…"

Chad didn't even pay attention. He knew he should and he wanted to, but for some insane reason his thoughts had wandered off to Lucy again.

Why couldn't he stop thinking about her even when he was being married to someone else? And did this mean that he should walk away now?

He glanced at Alianna.

No. He couldn't leave her at the altar. That would be wrong. None of this was her fault. And she knew everything about him and Lucy and still she was ready to marry him – of course that was because Demetrius had wanted her to do so. But still, Demetrius and Philip trusted him. Kayla supported him. He couldn't break all their trust.

He would have to fulfill his promise. He would have to marry Alianna and he would have to keep her happy. No matter what.

He had known that when he had accepted Demetrius' proposal. He knew that now too. And he would do that. No matter what.

"You may speak your vows," he heard Demetrius say.

Blinking back to the reality, the groom turned to face his bride as she did the same. A moment's hesitation later, Chad reached forward and took her hands in his.

His mind was still buzzing with millions of different thoughts and he forced them away, focusing only and _only_ on what was happening.

A moment of silence passed.

"C-Chad, with everyone here as witness," Alianna spoke, her voice soft and shaking at the beginning. She seemed really scared. "I claim you as my h-husband."

At those words, Chad found himself raising his gaze to meet hers.

"I belong to you, I offer my life for you," she said, her hand trembled slightly. She stopped and then continued with a bit more confidence than before. "I give to you my companionship, my faithfulness, my heart, my soul and my body. I take into keeping the same that is yours. You are my life-mate, bound to me just as I am bound to you."

Everything was silent for a long moment.

He knew that everyone was waiting for him to speak, but his throat had gone dry as the meaning of the vows she had just made downed on him.

Her blue eyes slowly moved to their intertwined hands and back into his eyes. He could see apprehension hidden in those orbs.

Perhaps that was what made him gather his guts and speak…

"Alianna," He began and stopped.

_This is it,_ he thought and took a deep breath.

"Alianna, with every person here as witness, I claim you as my wife," Chad said, looking deep into his eyes as he tried to convey to her the honesty in his words. "I belong to y-you. I offer my life for you. I give you my protection, my allegiance, my heart, my soul and my body. I take into keeping the same that is yours."

Alianna blinked, her blue eyes full of many emotions – one of which was strangely, understanding.

"You are my life-mate, bound to me just as I am bound to you," Chad finished.

"Bring forth the rings," Demetrius said and then Philip stepped forward.

The rings were exchanged quickly and Chad could now feel the weight of the promises he made on his finger.

"By the power invested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife," Demetrius paused shortly, "You may kiss the bride."

Silence.

Kiss the bride? He hadn't thought of that. He knew he had to kiss Alianna at the wedding, as per the traditions, but he had intentionally ignored that part. It was sad that it could no longer be ignored.

He knew that everyone was waiting. He could feel hundreds of eyes on him.

Chad stepped forward, his face moving close to hers.

Alianna let out a shaky breath, and he realized that she was nervous. He looked into her eyes and gave her a small smile of what he hoped was comfort before leaning forward and placing his lips atop hers.

The guests cheered, clearly over-joyed by the union.

Chad kissed her shortly, softly, caressing her lips with his, before pulling away and looking around.

Yes, the guests were clearly happy.

The monarchs were clapping, smiling at him – even Edmund was smiling, though Chad could detect hidden disappointment in his features.

Kayla was beaming, tears of joy and pride running down her cheeks.

He smiled at her, before finally glancing at his… _wife_, who was smiling politely at the guests, a blush on her cheeks.

The cheering went on for a minute and Chad found himself nodding his thanks when he saw _her_.

Lucy stood at the beginning of the aisle, her eyes wide, her body stiff and her mouth open in surprise. Hurt, angst, regret, guilt and defeat swam in her eyes – and finally dripped out on her cheek in the form of a single tear.

* * *

><p><strong>I know, I know - you're all staring at the screen, wide-eyed like this: O_O<strong>

**But all I can say is - see you with the next chapter soon! :p**

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	11. Chapter 11

**Hey everybody! How are you all? Here is the next chapter that you all have been waiting for! xD**

**Thank you to all those who reviewed :)**

**Do check out CrazyKitCat's stories, and review them too - pleasseee?**

**Now go on, read and REVIEW!**

**Disclaimer: Narnia belongs to C.S. Lewis.**

* * *

><p><strong>.<strong>

**Desires and Destiny**

**Chapter 11**

**.**

Chad stared at Lucy, who stood there in shock, her mouth open in surprise and a tear running down her cheek.

A part of Chad was content to see that. He wondered why she was crying or why she seemed so sad. She had brought it upon herself. She was the one who had decided to cheat on him with Harry. Shouldn't she be happy that she could be with Harry now?

Another part of Chad wanted to rush forward and wipe that tear away. Seeing her hurt made his heart ache. He wanted to see her happy, smiling, laughing – the way she always did. Tears were not meant for her, they did not suit her. At all. He wanted to take them all away.

But he couldn't do that. Not anymore. He was a married man now. And she, she was someone who had chosen Harry over him.

It was all over now. It was all in the past now.

And then, much to Chad's anger, Harry came up behind the Valiant Queen. The hazel-eyed man stared at Chad and he glared back.

Chad had to keep his anger in check when he saw Harry whispering something in Lucy's ear. The Valiant Queen, who seemed shaken, turned to look at him and said something. And then she rested her head on his shoulder.

The Lord of Daelhr gritted his teeth.

How dare _she_?

If she was so much in love with Harry then why the hell was she crying now?

His anger only grew tenfold and any guilt of last night washed away from his mind when he saw Harry slowly wrap an arm around Lucy's shoulder.

And Chad looked away, his mouth set in a firm line.

"Milord?" a low whisper caught his attention.

The Lord of Daelhr turned to look at his wife. Forcing himself to smile, he shook his head lightly. "It's nothing."

**[][][][][][][][]**

The reception was in full swing. The orchestra played a merry tune and many people were dancing on the huge dance floor while the stars twinkled in the sky above them. The round tables were set around the dance floor - a typical 'Susan' touch to the arrangements, no matter how much Kayla insisted otherwise - with servers bringing food to the guests who were seated, chatting as they ate their dinner. Each table was decorated with different assortments of fruits and flowers. Numerous lanterns and candles illuminated the gardens that were decorated with floral bouquets, tulles and ribbons that set off the bright colors of the spring wedding.

Chad was seated at one of the tables, with Alianna to his right, talking to the guests who came over to congratulate the newly weds. It was a tedious thing to do, but it had to be done.

"Congratulations!" A noble who had come to talk to them.

Chad smiled as he picked up his glass of wine. "Thank you. I'm glad that you came."

"You two make such a nice couple," the noble's wife gushed as she addressed Alianna, "He is so handsome and you are so lovely."

Alianna mumbled a 'thank you', clearly embarrassed from all the attention she had been receiving all evening.

"I bet you two will have beautiful babies!"

And Chad choked on his drink. He coughed, spluttering the wine he had been drinking and glanced up to find the guest couple and Alianna staring at him.

"Sorry," he lied, reaching out for a napkin and wiping his mouth. "I t-took a large sip."

"Of course. Look at our bad manners, we are disturbing you during your meal," the woman said, "We'll see you later, milord, milady."

Chad smiled at them as they walked away and then sighed. This had been a really long day and he was tired. He couldn't wait to go home and sleep.

"Chad," Philip, who was sitting on his other side, said, "You wouldn't mind if I dance with your wife, do you?"

Chad smiled at him. "She is your sister."

"And your wife."

Chad chuckled. "Go on, enjoy."

He watched the two walk over to the dance floor when he heard someone calling his name. He turned to see Irene walking towards him, hand in hand with a girl of about her age.

"Chad," she said as she came to a stop before him. "This is Hadiya, my friend."

The Lord of Daelhr smiled at Hadiya. She was a pretty child, with curly light brown hair and green eyes. (**A/N:** Link in the profile) "It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Hadiya."

Hadiya curtsied. "You too, milord."

"Are you girls enjoying yourself?"

"Yes," Irene nodded, jumping onto Chad's lap – something that had become a habit of hers over the past few years. "The cake is delicious!"

"I bet you and Peter had big slices."

"We did."

"So, Hadiya," Chad turned to the other girl, "Have you been to Daelhr before?"

"No."

"Do you like it?"

"I haven't seen much of it," she replied. "But I love your home. It is so big."

"It is," Chad agreed. "So, your parents work for the Kings and Queens?"

"No." She looked sad for a moment. "I've never met my parents."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Who are you here with?"

"My brother," she replied happily, a huge smile spreading over her face. "I love him!"

"Do you now?" Chad smiled.

Hadiya nodded. "He is very nice to me. He cooks for me and reads me really nice bedtime stories," she told him. "And whenever he has time, he plays with me too."

"That is very nice of him."

"Have you met him?"

Chad shook his head.

"You should."

"I'd love to," he said.

Hadiya looked around and then giggled. "He is looking for me right now."

"How do you know that?"

"He is making his 'I'm-looking-for-Hadiya' face," the girl replied and then waved to someone. "Here he comes."

Chad followed her gaze and his body involuntarily stiffened when he saw the man walking towards them.

_Ahhh, crap!_

**[][][][][][][][]**

"Calm down, Lucy," Harry said to the Valiant Queen.

"How can I calm down? We didn't get here on time. Chad got married and I failed."

"Please Lucy," he said. "I'm sure you will not let Demetrius succeed in his motives. And I will help you to the best of my ability."

She slowly nodded, glancing at Chad who was sitting with Alianna. "He should know what his _friends _are planning."

"I'll talk to him."

"No." Lucy disagreed, gesturing towards his face. "Do you not remember what happened the last time you talked to him? He will not listen to you."

"I doubt he will listen to you too, considering how angry he was with you too."

She sighed. "I know but I'll have to try."

The two were silent for a minute or two –

"I think I should talk to the guests for now as is expected of me," she said. "You should enjoy the party as well. Act normal."

With that, she was gone.

Harry sighed and walked around, looking at the dancing couples and chatting people, wondering how the world had flipped upside down overnight.

Chad – who, according to Lucy, was a great person – had beaten him up mercilessly last night.

Kayla – Chad's sister, whom Harry had never even spoken to in his life before – had bandaged him up, expressing her dislike for him throughout the ordeal.

Demetrius, Philip and Alianna – who were supposed to be Chad's most trusted friends – were actually plotting against him.

And then his hazel eyes came to rest on a young girl, about eight years of age, talking to someone he couldn't see. The dancing couple blocked his view.

_Hadiya?_

What was she doing here?

She wasn't even invited.

And bubbling with curiosity, Harry made his way through the dancing couples, his eyes trying to get a glance of the girl. Had he really seen her or was he mistaken?

He was not.

Sure enough, he saw Hadiya stare at him and smile. She waved him over.

Harry took a few steps forward and when he was close enough to see who she was conversing with, he stopped, his eyes going wide.

_What the hell? _

Hadiya, his little sister, was standing near her friend, Princess Irene, chatting animatedly with Lord Chad.

The Chad who hated him, the Chad who had beaten him like a punch bag…

The world had _indeed _gone upside down.

Harry saw the shock on the face of the Lord of Daelhr as he stared at him.

A small moment of silence passed and then Hadiya gasped in shock, taking in her brother's appearance. "You're hurt," she said, rushing over to him. "Your face is injured!"

"I'm fine, Hadiya." Harry said.

"Did you get in a fight? Who _did _this to you?"

And involuntarily, Harry's eyes snapped to the groom, who was staring at them blankly. "I'm fine, Hads," he lied, smiling at his sister. "It was just an accident."

She nodded slowly and then grinned, taking his hand and dragging him closer to the table. "I want you to meet Lord Chad," she said gesturing towards the Lord of Daelhr. "And milord, this is my brother, Harry. He works for Queen Lucy."

Chad set Irene down and stood, glaring at Harry.

"My Lord," Harry said in an even voice, holding out his hand. "Congratulations on getting married."

"Thank you," Chad said, his voice cold.

A second passed and then Hadiya giggled. "Did you forget milord?" she asked, her eyes on Chad, "When someone holds out their hand, you have to shake it."

Chad smiled at her before grudgingly shaking hands with Harry.

"Harry, Lord Chad invited me to his wedding," Hadiya said.

Harry stared at Chad. "Why?"

Chad shrugged, "Irene wanted Hadiya to be here."

_That explains it_, Harry thought. "I see."

"Now, if you will excuse me," Chad said coldly and then turned to Hadiya. In an instant, the hardness on his face was gone and he smiled. "I'll see you later, Hadiya. Enjoy the rest of your evening."

"He is really nice," Hadiya said once he was gone.

"Hmm."

"Where have you been?" Hadiya asked him. "I haven't seen you ever since we left Cair."

Harry got to his knees so that he was at level with her. "I'm sorry, but I had my duties to attend to. The Valiant Queen needed me."

"You always have duties." She pouted. "I haven't talked to you in days."

"When we get back to the mansion, I'll visit you and then we'll talk till late tonight."

Her face lightened up. "Will you tell me a nice bedtime story?"

"I'm out of stories at the moment," he said. "But I'll try."

She clapped with excitement. "Yay!"

Harry glanced at Irene who was now sitting on the chair that had been Chad's, drinking some water and looking at them. "How about you go and play with the princess now, I'll see you later?"

"Okay!" Hadiya said and kissed his cheek before dancing away with Irene.

Harry sighed.

This had been such a long day and still it was not ending.

His mind was currently at what they had heard in Philip's room. He could not help but wonder why Demetrius and Philip had wanted this 'revenge' from Chad.

_What had Chad done that would make them plot against him?_

Even Lucy couldn't guess.

And that was bad. An enemy whose motives were hidden was always bad.

Chad was so unaware of the situation. What was worse - the only two people who knew of Demetrius' intentions were currently untrustworthy, at least according to Chad.

Harry knew that it was not a matter that affected him directly - at least for now. But still he was worried. He wanted to make things right.

No matter what happened between Chad and Lucy, no matter how Chad had treated him, Chad was a good governor - a good ruler and Daelhr had flourished in peace and prosperity under his rule over the last five years. And Chad was very loyal when it came to the monarchs and Narnia. Such a man does not deserve to be brought down by people such as Demetrius.

And Lucy certainly wouldn't to see Chad like that.

Harry owed it to Lucy. To Narnia.

He would have to do something.

_But what?_

Well, the first and most important thing to do would be to inform Chad of Demetrius' intentions, just like Lucy said. But Harry doubted that he would listen.

Chad was a stubborn man. And he was furious at Harry and Lucy. No, He would not listen to her.

But someone needed to be told, so that they could remain wary, so they could keep an eye on Demetrius and Philip, so they could make sure that Chad's wife did not end up murdering him in his sleep or something like that...

But who? Frustrated, Harry pressed his fingers to his temple - that was covered with that bandage that he had loosened after returned to his room last night.

And something in his mind clicked - _that was it!_ The answer to his question.

It took a minute of searching, but finally Harry found Lady Kayla on the dance floor, dancing with King Edmund.

**[][][][][][][][]**

Kayla laughed over Edmund's latest joke and then twirled as she moved on to her next partner for the dance.

And she froze.

Harry - Queen Lucy's personal guard - gave her a small smile and placed one of his hands on her waist and grabbed her hand gently with his.

It took a small second for her shock to disappear, but when it did, she moved to step away.

"Please, my lady," he said. "People are watching."

She stopped, grudgingly, knowing that he was right. "What do you want?"

"I'm just dancing to this beautiful song," he paused. "And I wanted to talk to you."

"What part of 'me not being very fond of you' was hard to understand, Harry?" she asked, irritated.

"Forgive me, my intention was not to annoy you b-"

"And yet you are," she pointed out.

"Listen to me, Kayla," he said, "There is a pl-"

"Since when did you come on first-name terms with me?" she asked.

"I beg your pardon?"

"You just called me 'Kayla'."

He blinked. "I'm sorry, Lady Kayla."

She sighed. "I cannot think of anything that you would want to talk to me about, so it would be better if you don't."

"This is about your brother."

"He is married now, I do not see the point in reminding him of how much he is hurting Lucy now. Please, just stop it and like I said last night, stay away from my brother and myself."

Harry frowned. "You hold a very strong opinion about me, milady."

"Indeed I do."

"Yet you do not know me at all to judge me."

"I seem to know enough."

"And what might that be?"

"You should know," she said pointedly. "You should know what you did and what your actions caused."

He frowned. "I don't get it." he shook his head before she could reply. "In any case, I just want you to listen to me. Just give me two minutes and I'll explain everything."

"You ruined everything," she told him, her voice harsh. "You ruined my brother's happiness and you expect me to _listen_ to what you have to say. I do not wish to be in your presence for twenty seconds, let alone two minutes."

"Look, I heard some things. And you should know so that if -"

Kayla stepped back. "I do not want to see you trying to talk to me again, Harry." she said. "You're the Valiant Queen's personal guard and you should be close to her instead of dancing with me."

With those words, she turned and walked away.

**[][][][][][][][]**

An hour later, Chad found himself standing next to his... _wife _on one side of the huge dance floor, staring at the guests who were dancing.

Chad felt awkward - the two had not really talked to each other since the wedding. He did not know what to say to her. He remained silent and so did she. But then again, Alianna had never been the talkative type.

However, the silence did not last. And when it shattered, it brought a wave of anger and discomfort with it.

Queen Lucy walked over to stand before them, her face blank. "Chad."

Betrayal and heartbreak washed over him and he pressed his lips into a firm line, nodding in greeting.

An awkward moment passed.

"My Queen." Alianna spoke, her voice low. "I hope you find the reception entertaining."

Chad noticed Lucy stiffen. "It is nice," she replied coldly.

Alianna noticed the tone as well. "I-I did not see you at the wedding, my queen," she said, slightly confused.

"I had better things to do than attend the wedding ceremony," Lucy snapped.

Chad frowned. This was so unlike Lucy. Had Lucy not loved Harry, Chad would have understood Lucy's resentment towards Alianna - considering how Chad was now married to her.

Besides, Lucy's body language and her tone while speaking to Alianna were simply... mean. He could not find another word for it. And Lucy would never talk to anyone like this. Not for this reason.

He glanced at his wife, who seemed surprised. "Have I offended you in any way?" she asked her.

"Stop this, Alianna, I'm not here for this."

"Then why are you here?" Chad could not help but ask, slightly annoyed.

Lucy turned her gaze onto him. "I need to talk to you."

"What is it?"

"_Alone_."

Chad glanced at Alianna. Why was Lucy behaving with her like this? It was not fair. "I'm sure you can talk in front of my wife."

He saw a flash of hurt in her brown eyes at the word 'wife', but before she could reply -

"It's alright," Alianna said, a small smile on her face. "I'll leave." And she walked away.

Chad took a deep breath. "I don't want to talk to you, Lucy," he said, his voice harsher than he intended. "I thought I had made that clear."

"This is important."

"A lot of things were important, Lucy." The words slipped out of his mouth before he could stop them.

She blinked.

A few moments of silence passed.

She sighed. "Just listen to me, alright?"

"Speak." He said shortly.

"I know you will find it hard to believe but you are being played, Chad," Lucy began. "The people whom you trust are not worthy of it. De -"

"You're right about that," he nodded towards her. "I put my trust in the wrong people, especially _women_."

Lucy ignored that. "This afternoon, Harry and I heard -"

Fury bubbled inside Chad's veins. "Oh, so that is where you were during the ceremony," he exclaimed. "With Harry. I should have figured that out."

"Chad, you are -"

"Not that I care," he went on, folding his arms over his chest. "It's just that the guests must have wondered where you were. If I were you, I would have either waited for my romantic moments or I would have told them that I was going to take strolls with someone special."

The Valiant Queen glared at him. "Look, I'm not here to listen to these taunts."

"Then why are you here?" he snapped.

"To warn you."

"I trusted you. My trust got shattered," he snorted bitterly. "I think you're giving me the warning pretty late, Lucy."

"I never cheated on you."

"Right." Sarcasm laced his voice. "Well, it has been lovely talking to you. Now, if you would excuse me, I believe I have many guests to attend to."

He took a few steps when she called his name.

He stopped. Turned.

She walked close to him, her face merely inches away from his. Anger swam in her brown eyes.

"You've lost your mind at the moment, I'll talk to you about this later. But," she paused for a second, clearly trying to keep her voice low so people wouldn't notice that they were arguing. "Next time, _don't_ you dare hit Harry."

He smirked.

She glared at him. "I mean it, Chad. I trust him. And I don't to hear that you've hit him."

"Then you should tell Harry to mind his own business and stay out of my life," he almost growled. Taking a deep breath, Chad stepped back and bowed. "Good evening."

With those two words, he turned and walked away.

**[][][][][][][][]**

It was late at night now. Guests were beginning to leave and the newly wedded couple was standing in the courtyard of the Fulton Manor along with their families and the monarchs of Narnia. A huge carriage stood before them, ready to take the couple to the Ardross Mansion, where the Lord of Daelhr lived.

And Alianna looked back at the Fulton Manor. That had been her home, she had spent her entire childhood in that place and it seemed sad that she would have to leave it now... She didn't want to go.

But she knew that she had to.

She was a married woman now, and the Lady of Daelhr. She would have to live with her husband in his home.

_Husband..._

From the corner of her eyes she saw Chad talking to her brother, laughing over something.

He had barely spoken to her since the ceremony. Not that she minded. She liked quiet and peace. Besides, she didn't even know how she would have replied if he had spoken to her, in any case.

"So, Chad," Philip was saying. "Should I call you 'brother-in-law' now?"

"No," Chad said. "Chad would be fine."

"But you're now my sister's husband," he said and pushed Alianna towards her husband. "I'm so happy!"

Alianna smiled slightly.

Next to her, Chad did the same. "How many drinks did you have, Philip?"

Philip seemed to be lost in thought for a long moment. "I lost count."

"I figured."

"You should have gotten drunk too."

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because it's my wedding."

"So?"

"So... I don't want to," Chad finished lamely.

Philip shook his head. "In any case, it is too late. You are leaving now and you're taking my sister with you," he paused. "Are you sure I cannot have Abaccus?"

"No." Chad said instantly. "That horse is mine. Why do you even ask?"

"It was worth a try." he paused and stared at her. "Are you ready?"

Alianna knew that the question meant a lot more than what it seemed. And that frightened her. She gulped. "F-For what?"

Philip's eyes darkened for a millisecond before he laughed. "To go to your new home," he joked. "I'm the one who is drunk and you're the one who can't remember that you just got married!"

"Stop teasing your sister, Philip," Demetrius walked over to them.

"It's not like I'll be able to do it all the time now." Philip shrugged.

A pang of sadness washed over Alianna.

It was true.

Her brother and her father won't be there with her... Instead she will be with Chad, someone she barely knew.

Why did she have to marry him?

She knew why her father disliked him. She knew why they thought he had ruined their family - though, in her mind she was torn. There were times when she could not help but wish that Chad had not done what he did, but deep down in her heart, she could not help but think that what he did was completely justified. Not that she would ever admit it out loud.

Still, if Chad really was the bad person who ruined their family, Alianna could not help but wonder in misery _why_ she had to marry him. Why was Philip letting this happen? Why did Demetrius gave her his blessing?

Did they not care that Alianna would actually be living with Chad? Did they not know that if they were caught, she would have to suffer anything that her husband directed towards her? Did they not care?

Of course, her father had spent long time explaining everything to her, telling her what she must do.

But she was not sure if she wanted to...

_No_, she told herself strictly,_ I must respect father's wishes. I must obey him._

But what about her own opinions?

_They do not exist,_ the reply came. _They must not exist. Not now._

Now now. Not when her father and brother had finally succeeded in making sure that Chad did not marry the Valiant Queen... that Chad married her, Alianna, instead.

And here she was, standing next to Chad as his wife, ready to go away with him to the Ardross Mansion, her new home.

She snapped out of her thoughts when she heard her father speak.

"Keep my daughter happy, Chad. She now belongs to you so love her and care for her, always."

"I will," Chad promised.

"I know you will."

Alianna's lower lip trembled.

She didn't want to go...

She didn't want to go...

She didn't want any revenge...

Not if it meant _this_.

"I'll see you later, sister," Philip said, embracing her.

She hugged him back, tears now forming in her eyes.

He pulled back and stared at her. "Take care of yourself and of your husband."

She tried to nod, but could only stare at him helplessly, pleading him to stop this.

He understood and his grip on her arm tightened for a second. "Be happy, sister."

The message was clear in his eyes.

She had to do what she had to.

There was no choice.

She turned and hugged her father tightly, her frame shaking with misery and fear.

"Ah, my child," Demetrius said, hugging her. "Why are you so nervous?"

She shook her head lightly, pretty sure that if she opened her mouth, she would start crying.

"Be brave and be happy."

She remained silent, holding on to her father for a few moments before pulling back, her eyes now filled with tears.

Demetrius smiled at her and then at Chad. "Go, now. It is late."

The couple slowly walked to the carriage and a servant came up to open the door. Chad stepped back, to let Alianna get in first before following and taking a seat to her left. The door of the carriage closed.

And her heart started beating madly in her chest. Her hands were shaking and she clenched them into fists. The moment the carriage started moving, she looked out of the window at her home... her family. They were waving her goodbye.

She smiled at them, hoping she looked determined, just like they wanted her to be.

And a minute later, she was outside the gates of the manor, out on the road, _alone_...

She was alone.

Her father and her brother were not here. She was with her husband - whom she did not know at all. And she would have done anything to be anywhere but here...

Despair filled her and she could not hold back her tears. They ran down her cheeks as she cried silently, feeling silly.

She could feel Chad's gaze on her, but she could not bring the tears to stop.

The carriage was drowned in silence for a couple of minutes, the only sound of the horses and her occasional sniffling.

"Here, take this."

Chad's kind voice startled her and she looked up. It took her a second to realize that he was holding out a handkerchief to her.

She took it without a word and wiped her tears away.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

She nodded slowly, her eyes fixed on her lap.

"You should not cry. You can visit them whenever you want. You'll be in the same city as them."

In the opposite corner of the city... and Daelhr was huge now. It had grown a lot over the last decade, expanding until the nearby villages merged with it. It was the second largest city of Narnia, first being the capital - where the Kings and Queens lived.

She would be alone in one corner of the city, in a mansion that stood tall on the hill. That fact alone didn't make her feel any better and more tears threatened to fall.

She heard Chad chuckle lightly. "Besides everyone knows that Philip practically _lives_ at Ardross before I kick him out every night."

She couldn't help it, she smiled at that.

He cleared his throat. "Alianna, why did you marry me?"

_Did he know?_

The fear she was feeling before increased ten-fold.

"Because you asked me to," she replied.

No, he couldn't know.

There was no way that he could know.

"Yes, but you knew that I..." he trailed off. "That I had feelings for L-Lucy and yet you accepted my proposal."

He did not know.

The relief was comforting, but she couldn't help but wonder why he was asking.

"I-I did what my father wanted, milord."

His turned to her, staring deep into her eyes. "Is that how you justify this?" he asked, gesturing between them.

"Do I _need _to justify our marriage?" she couldn't help but ask.

"No," he shook his head to let her know that she misunderstood his question. "I just want to know why you agreed. I mean, you could have found someone who loved you and -"

"I did what my father wanted," she repeated in a low voice.

"Alianna," he hesitated. "I... need time."

She blinked and looked away.

No one spoke.

No one moved.

The seconds crawled by.

"Did I offend you?" Chad asked, his voice apologetic.

Alianna looked up in surprise and shook her head.

"Then why did you not give me an answer?"

"What you said was not a question," she told him.

He seemed to be considering her words. "Agreed, but I would like to know your reaction."

_My reaction?_

_Why would he want to know that?_

No one had asked for her reactions or opinions before. Why was he looking at her as if it mattered to him?

"I have no reaction, my lord," she spoke.

Chad sighed and then reached out for her hand.

His fingers caressed the back of her hand and she bit her lip. He held her hand, intertwining his fingers with hers and pulling it so that their hands were in his lap instead of hers. His touch was gentle, careful.

"You are my wife, Alianna," he said, his voice full of honesty. "I know I have many responsibilities towards you and I promise to fulfill them all."

He held her gaze.

"There is, however, one thing I want you to know," he said slowly. "Alianna, I'm not in love with you..."

Her eyes slowly moved from his eyes to their hands and she nodded once.

"But I will _try _to love you," he went on, still trying to meet her eyes, "And I'm sure that one day I _will _love you but for that I need time."

She remained silent, absorbing his words.

"I'm telling you this because I want our relationship to be based on honesty," he explained. "That is, after all, the most important thing in a relationship. Right?"

That was the one thing she could not give him. Listening to his words, she wanted to, but she knew she couldn't.

Pressing her lips in a firm line, she nodded.

"I will be a good husband, a good friend and a good companion to you. I will try my best to become a good lover too," he said, his tone soft, "But please do not expect something from me that I cannot give, at least not until I am ready."

"... I understand, milord," Alianna said, looking up at him. "You can have as much time as you want."

"Thank you," he squeezed her hand once before letting go.

She smiled slightly in return.

The rest of the journey back to the mansion went by in silence. Neither of them felt the need to say anything else and therefore remained silent.

And when the carriage came to a stop in the courtyard, Chad helped her out of the carriage.

A servant girl hurried up to them and greeted them both.

"Your chambers have been prepared." she told them. "All of Lady Alianna's belongings have already been put away properly."

"Very well," Chad said. "We shall retire for the night. Could you please see to it that the others are welcomed properly when they arrive."

"Of course, milord."

"Thank you."

As Chad silently led Alianna into her new home, treating the servants with great kindness, she couldn't help but wonder if all the things her father and brother had said were true or not.

Was this revenge they had planned really necessary?

* * *

><p><strong>There you go. A long chapter comes to an end... <strong>**Liked it? Hated it? Do tell us!**

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	12. Chapter 12

**Hey guys! CrazyKitCat here! **

**It's kinda two people's fault that it took us so long to update...mine and our new ghost, Kleimo! The story behind Kleimo is that Ennarre and I were on the phone the other night and I heard someone snoring. I took my ear buds out to make sure it wasn't coming from my house before I asked her who snored that loudly at her place... It wasn't coming from her house either... :-O**

**We made a joke that our online connection was haunted and that we should name it and thus, Kleimo was born! :P**

**No, really, it was my fault that it took so long, but I fully intend for us to have the next chapter up before my 100th birthday (which shouldn't be too hard considering I turn 18 in 10 days). Just kidding, I want my 18th birthday present to be a ton of reviews both on chapter 13 of this (which we aim to post sometime on the weekend of February 11) and on some of my own stories.**

**Finally: We don't own Narnia, that's C.S. Lewis.**

* * *

><p><strong>.<strong>

**Desires and Destiny**

**Chapter 12**

**.**

Chad woke up very early the next morning. This was nothing new. He had always had trouble sleeping and his body had been used to less hours of sleep since his childhood.

His thoughts wandered off to Lucy, which was nothing new as well. Ever since he had fallen in love with the Valiant Queen, she had always been in his mind. These thoughts were wrong. He was a married man now.

He glanced down at Alianna. She lay on her stomach, her hands under her head, her eyes closed, deep in sleep, her golden locks splayed all around her.

And again, thoughts of Lucy filled his mind.

However, at the moment, he was thinking of how she had treated Alianna last night. Lucy was never rude. _Never_. It went against all of her central values. Then what had made her speak to Alianna like that?

The only reason he could come up with was that Alianna was now his wife.

But that made no sense. Lucy didn't love him. She loved Harry... And the images returned, images of that blasted night. Memories of her lips on Harry's – of the betrayal, of the hurt, of the tears he had cried after seeing that…

_Then why would Lucy be jealous or angry at my wife?_

It was too complicated to understand.

Besides, it was a new day, a new beginning. And thinking about his past and what could have been if Lucy hadn't cheated on him would only bring him pain.

With a sigh, Chad got off the bed and walked over to the window, glancing at the dark sky with streaks of orange at the horizon. The sun would soon start to rise. The breakfast wouldn't be ready for at least a couple of hours.

He slowly went to the couch and slumped down.

The day before had been tiring and yet here he was, wide awake before dawn. Why couldn't he get a good night's sleep? He didn't even know how it felt to sleep through the night, let alone some of the day, when others bang on your door, ordering you to get up…

_Must be nice – being normal,_ he thought bitterly.

He stretched, his eyes falling on the bed once again, where Alianna was still fast asleep.

He was glad that he had talked to her in the carriage. And what was more – she understood. That only increased the respect he had for her. She had been crying at first, probably due to fear and nerves, but his lame sense of humor made her smile.

Things were awkward when they reached the room, of course, but he was glad that it was over.

_Chad let Alianna enter the dimly lit room before following her and closing the door behind him. _

_The private chambers of the Lord of Daelhr were large and elegant. A huge four poster bed with white linen curtains was against a wall. On one side of the room was a comfortable looking couch with a low coffee table before it. On another side were a huge closet and a dresser. A large mirror hung over it and Chad could see his and Alianna's reflection in it. The newlywed bride was inspecting the room closely. _

_Chad had visited this room numerous times before he was the Lord of Daelhr, often to clean it for Alfred, or to be tortured by him. And he had hated it. __When he became the lord, he had to live in it. It had been suffocating at first, but he got used to it eventually._

"_You have a nice room," Alianna said in a low voice._

"_You've never been here before?" Chad asked, finding it strange because Philip had an annoying habit of barging in whenever he had the chance. _

_But then again, Philip was his friend. Alianna… had barely been an acquaintance. _

"_No."_

_The two were silent for a minute._

"_The wash chambers are that way," Chad pointed, "If you want to freshen up."_

"_That would be nice," she nodded with a whisper and walked to the bathroom without another word._

_He sighed and walked towards his closet. Pulling out his trousers and a plain tunic, he quickly changed his clothes and then climbed on the bed._

_The door to his wash chambers opened and he looked up to see Alianna stepping out, now garbed in a silk nightdress instead of her wedding gown. Silently, she removed the covers on the other side of the bed and slipped in._

_Accustomed to sleeping alone in this bed however he wanted, Chad felt awkward for a moment. He glanced at her from the corner of his eyes, only to find her with a similar expression of discomfort on her face. _

"_Good night, Alianna," he said, turning so that he was not facing her anymore._

_It took a small while, during which he felt her settle into a comfortable position, before her reply came. "Sweet dreams, milord."_

Chad looked up when he heard the rustle of cloth. Alianna was stirring in her sleep. And he blinked in surprise – the room seemed much more illuminated than before, despite the curtains that covered the windows. The sun must have risen.

He silently watched as Alianna pushed herself into a sitting position and rubbed her eyes sleepily. She looked around the room until her eyes came to rest on him.

"Good morning, milord," she mumbled.

"'Morning, Alianna," he replied. "Did you sleep well?"

She nodded.

There was a knock on the door.

"I'll get it," Chad walked to the door and opened it. "What is this?"

"Your breakfast, milord," replied the maid who was standing outside, holding a tray laden with food. "Lady Kayla had it sent to your room."

Chad frowned, but stepped aside to let her bring the food inside. She placed it on the table and then greeted Alianna as she began preparing the tea for them. He noticed how the maid was inspecting his wife closely, with great interest.

Curious, he too glanced at Alianna.

She was sitting on the bed, the covers covering the lower half of her body, wearing a sleeveless nightdress with a pretty low neckline now that Chad noticed. She was staring at the maid with sleepy eyes as she ran a hand through her golden hair that seemed messy, probably because she had just woken up.

He looked back at the maid, who seemed to be taking in her appearance, then back at Alianna, who just sat there looking like she had woken up after a tiring night…

And Chad's eyes widened. The tips of his ears burned due to embarrassment.

_No!_

The last thing he wanted at the moment was gossip. Having served as a servant half of his life, he knew how it spread like a fire – rumors, gossip, talks, and views. And he did not want himself or Alianna or their _wedding night_ to be the latest topic.

"Umm, that's okay," he quickly said. "You can leave."

"But, milord, the tea –"

"I can prepare it," he assured her. "You may go and attend to your other duties."

The maid seemed unsure but walked out of the room after a curtsy, closing the door behind her. Sighing, Chad dropped down on the couch and pulled the tray towards him, picking up the teapot.

"Let me," Alianna said as she got off the bed and moved to sit next to him on the couch. She took it from him and prepared the breakfast. "Why did you send her away?"

Chad shrugged. "We must get ready after this. The Kings and Queens are leaving this afternoon."

**[][][][][][][][]**

Chad and Alianna walked out to the courtyard where the carriages were getting ready for the departure of the Kings and Queens. The monarchs were already there with their guards, as was Kayla. They all turned to look at the newlyweds as they stepped down the front stairs.

"I'll be busy for a day or two but after that you will have to tour the city with me," Chad was saying to Alianna, "You're the Lady of Daelhr now so it is expected of you."

She nodded in understanding.

And Chad walked away from her and towards the Peter and Caspian.

"Thank you," he said to both of them, "For attending my wedding. It meant a lot to me."

"Don't mention it," Peter replied with a smile. "You're my friend."

Chad hesitated. "… Are the others angry at me?"

"For what?"

"For getting married."

"I don't think so," Caspian shook his head. "Lucy and you are grown-ups now. You can make your decisions. And we respect them. It is your life Chad, and if you think that marrying Alianna was the right thing, then as friends, we will support you."

"Even Edmund?"

"Even me," the Just King said, walking over to stand next to Caspian. "I'm not happy that things didn't work out between you and Lucy. I mean, we had gotten used to seeing you two together, but…"

"Fate had other things planned for you two," Peter finished.

Chad nodded slowly. "I just don't want to lose you all as my friends because of what happened."

"You won't," Caspian promised.

"Peter!" Lucy walked over to the High King. "I need to talk to you."

Chad stiffened a little but he forced his smile to remain intact.

"Later, Lu," Peter said. "We're saying our goodbyes."

She sighed, clearly annoyed. "Fine," she glanced at Chad. "Later would be better _anyway_."

Chad hid his frown. _What was that supposed to mean?_

"Ah, Lady Alianna!" Edmund exclaimed, staring at Alianna who stopped next to Chad. "You look lovely today."

From the corner of his eyes, Chad saw Lucy glare at Alianna. _Why is she acting like that?_

Alianna mumbled a thank you. "I was asking Queen Isabel to stay." She said.

"I wish we could," Peter smiled. "But we cannot stay away from Cair for a long of time. There is so much that had to be done every day."

She nodded in understanding.

"In any case, I'm glad you're here," Edmund smirked, "Because I was just going to tease your dear husband about your wedding night."

Alianna blushed.

Chad's eyes went wide. "Don't," he managed to say, well aware of King Edmund's sense of humor.

"Come now, what is a wedding without bawdy jokes directed towards the groom?"

"Please, don't!"

"Ed," Peter warned. "Shut up."

"Kill joy," the Just King muttered but did not say anything else.

"Umm, I'll look for Kayla," Chad mumbled and walked away before Edmund decided that he really did want to joke after all.

**[][][][][][][][]**

"Please see to it that the luggage is secured properly," Kayla said to the servant, "We don't want the Kings and Queens to have any inconvenience on their journey back."

The servant nodded and walked away.

"That is very kind of you." A voice said.

Kayla inwardly groaned and turned around to see Harry standing next to a black horse, a lazy smile on his face as he stared at her. "What do you want?" she asked, irritated.

"I want you to listen to what I have to say," he said as he stepped towards her.

"I thought I made it clear that I -"

"- did not want to talk to me?" he cut her off. "Yes, you did."

"Then why do you keep attempting to start a conversation?"

"Not to start a conversation, milady," he inclined his head as he came to a stop before her. "But merely to give a warning."

"What kind of warning?"

Harry was silent for a short moment. "Be wary and be careful."

"That is a _warning_?" Kayla said flatly. "That is common sense!"

Harry shrugged. "I just felt the need to remind you."

She narrowed her eyes. "Are you saying I lack common sense?"

He blinked in surprise. "I did not mean that."

"Then, pray tell, what _did _you mean?"

"I was just -"

"First, you ruin my brother's happiness by having an affair with the woman he was in love with and now you _dare_ to insult me?" she asked angrily.

"What?" his hazel eyes were wide now. "No. I would never -"

"Never?" she snorted. "Are you denying what you did to my brother? You love Lucy, you kissed her and that broke Chad's heart. And even then you had the guts to actually come to Daelhr and face him? Even more, you go on and try to talk to me when -"

"Enough!"

His voice was not loud. It was not what one would classify as 'misbehaving' as either. But it was so full of repressed anger that it shut her up immediately. She stared at him, her mouth half open in surprise.

"I've had it. I've had it with you and your brother blaming me for things I did not even do!"

"Are you denying the kiss I saw with my very own eyes?"

He paused for a second, probably surprised by this revelation. "I did not deny anything, I am merely saying that I'm tired of being blamed for everything." he said, "Yes, the kiss happened, but you do not know the reason why it happened. You do not know what it meant."

"You two love -"

"Did we say it? No. You presumed it," his tone was firm. "It is not my fault that your brother's love was so weak that _one_ tiny misunderstanding shattered it." he shook his head. "Not that it matters anymore."

"Listen to me, Harry -"

"With all due respect, _you_ listen to me, milady," he said. "None of what happened was my fault so stop insulting me again and again. I'm a human and I can only take in so many things."

She was quiet for a second, probably shocked. Then -

"Kayla?" And the two turned to see Chad walking towards them. His eyes hardened when he noticed Harry. "What are you doing here, Kayla?"

"I... I -"

"Lady Kayla was making sure that the luggage was secured properly," Harry replied, his voice smooth.

"Is it?" Chad asked coldly.

"I believe so, milord."

The Lord of Daelhr turned to his sister. "Then you need not stand here anymore."

"Chad," Kayla began.

Chad took her arm. "Let's go."

Kayla glanced at Harry, her eyes unreadable.

Harry looked at her - a mixture of anger and hurt in his eyes - and inclined his head in respect. "Goodbye, Lord Chad and Lady Kayla."

Chad did not reply but instead walked away, dragging Kayla with him.

And Kayla's eyes remained on Harry for a few moments before she, too, turned away.

**[][][][][][][][]**

Chad smiled and looked around, glad that he didn't have to participate in this conversation for a while. He closed his eyes, tuning out the chitter-chatter that surrounded him.

"Enjoying the warmth of the sun, are we?"

"You can say that."

"Here."

Chad opened his eyes to see Philip holding out a glass of wine to him. He took it, thanking his friend.

"You've been busy," Philip said as he took a seat on a chair across from Chad.

"I had work."

"You always have work."

Chad chuckled, taking a sip of the drink. "You sound like Kayla."

"Well, its true."

"It..." Chad thought for a second, "_is_!"

Philip laughed. He drank his wine quietly for a minute before a sly smile spread on his face. "So, how does it feel to be a newly married man?"

"Are you going to tease me now?"

"What are friends for?" Philip grinned. "Come on, tell me."

Chad rolled his eyes but replied nonetheless. "It is different and not-so-different in so many ways."

"How come?"

Chad hesitated. "... I don't know."

Philip's smile faltered. "What is it?" he asked. "Are you and Alianna happy?"

The Lord of Daelhr glanced at his wife who stood with a few woman, listening to whatever they were saying. Even though her lips were curved to form a smile, her eyes looked sad.

It had been two weeks since he got married and in these two weeks Chad had preferred to stay alone, spending most of his time in his office. Sure, he was married and he respected his wife, but that didn't mean that he had to be with her all the time.

Thankfully, Alianna minded her own business too. From what Kayla had told him, she spent most of her time in their chambers - doing who knows what.

The most they would see each other would be before sleeping at night or during breakfast – as Chad had developed a habit of skipping his other meals or having them brought to his office, something that Kayla was not happy with. And during that time, Alianna would be awfully quiet - which was nothing new - but he would almost feel waves of discomfort radiating from her.

"Chad?"

The Lord of Daelhr blinked and looked back to his friend, who was still waiting for his reply. "I don't know," he finally said with a sigh. "I don't think she is happy."

Something flashed in Philip's eyes, but it came and went so fast that Chad was unable to figure out what it was. "Did she say that to you?"

"No," Chad replied. "I just know."

"How come?"

"She doesn't do anything, she has almost locked herself in that one room."

Philip snorted. "Now you know why father was always worried about her."

Chad shook his head. "It's not like that. I used to meet your sister occasionally even before we got married." he said. "Now she has changed. It's like... a light is dying in her eyes and it's my fault."

"How is it your fault?"

_Because I'm not giving her her rights and the time and the attention she deserves as my wife_, Chad wanted to say.

The only time he would talk to her was when someone was around - or at luncheons, like the one today. He had entered the terrace with her, sat next to her during the meal, talked to her in front of all the nobles and the members of the court because it was expected of him, and moved away from her as soon as it was possible for him. Once the guests would leave - he would excuse himself and leave her, like he had done for two weeks.

He wasn't proud of it but he wasn't ready to do anything else either.

He was not ready to be a true husband to her.

He was not ready to forget Lucy... maybe it was too hard to forget Lucy...

_Don't go there._

"Chad?"

Chad blinked again. "Sorry."

Philip chuckled. "What are you thinking about?" he asked. "No wait. Let me answer that - you're probably overthinking some issue. Maybe about Alianna."

"Well if you know the answer to everything then tell me what I should do about the situation with my marriage?" Chad asked, voicing one of his many thoughts, "I know I'm not the most caring husband in the world but I want to help Alianna fit in here."

"Love advice?" Philip made a face. "You come to the wrong person. Had I been so good at the matters of heart, I would have had a wife and an extramarital affair by now!"

Chad laughed. "Yes because that is what _every_ man wants!" he commented sarcastically.

"I, at least, do!" Philip winked. "As for Alianna - she is like this, just accept it. Don't get me wrong, I love my sister and I want her to be happy but being married is new for her too. It'll take time getting used to, right?"

Chad nodded uncertainly.

Philip sighed. "If it matters so much to you then why don't you talk to her about it. That will help." he slapped him on the arm lightly. "Stop being so depressing."

Chad chuckled and stood up. "I need more wine."

"Ask the servants to get it."

"They already have enough to do," Chad replied. "I can do this by myself."

"Such a caring boy!"

Chad rolled his eyes and walked over to the drinks table, pouring himself another glass of wine while talking to a noble. Just as he was about to turn back he noticed Alianna standing alone by the railing, staring somewhere blankly.

Without thinking, he changed his direction and walked over to stand next to his wife, who did not notice him.

Her hair, hanging lose at her back, glowed in the sunlight and her violet dress fell to her feet. She was looking at the gardens below, a strange longing in her eyes.

He cleared his throat.

Alianna started but composed herself once she realized that it was only him.

He glanced down at his hands. "How rude of me, I didn't bring you a drink." he held out his drink. "You can have this."

She shook her head. "No, thank you."

"Are you enjoying the luncheon?"

She nodded.

"And yet you're standing here alone."

"I'm sorry," she said quickly and moved to walk back to the guests. "I'll return to the guests."

He stepped in her way. "I did not say that standing alone was a crime. Stay."

She stopped and turned back to the railing.

"You behaved and mingled with the guests exactly like the Lady of Daelhr would," he complimented her. "Everyone is impressed and so am I."

"Thank you."

The two stood in silence for a while, Alianna looking down at the gardens and Chad looking at the birds flying in the clear sky.

"Those rosebushes need water," she murmured.

He blinked. "I beg your pardon."

"... It's nothing, milord."

"No, tell me. What did you say?"

She hesitated. "I said those bushes need water," she pointed down at the rosebushes.

"How do you know?" he asked.

"I can tell."

He looked at her, surprised by this new piece of information he had learned about his wife. "You like gardening?"

"I always have."

"That is a good interest." he paused. Deciding that maybe talking to her won't be so bad, he went on, "The gardens here at Ardross are huge, covering up a large part of the hill on which this mansion is situated. They are taken care of by many gardeners, all of them well trained and well paid for what they do."

She listened quietly, but with interest - that much he could tell.

"There are many types of flowers and plants that are found here - many that are extremely rare," he chuckled lightly. "I'm afraid I do not know much about gardening and flowers but I do know that they are quite a sight to behold."

"I'm sure they are."

"Have you visited the gardens, Alianna?"

"No, milord."

"Why not?"

"I didn't know I could," came her reply in a low voice.

Chad opened his mouth and closed it. Then - "Would you like to visit the gardens?"

Her eyes lit up. "Yes."

Chad smiled. "Then you can go anytime you want." he told her. "I can have someone give you a tour, or you can go roam around yourself."

"I can?"

"Obviously!" he said. "This is your home now, Alianna. You don't need permission for these little things."

"Yes, milord." she smiled, glancing back at the gardens, looking excited at the prospect of visiting them.

Chad was happy to see that.

"You should have your gardeners plant bluebonnets in the gardens," she said after a while, pointing to a certain green area. "They'll look very pretty over there."

"... I'll ask them to do so." he paused. "While I was taking a stroll a there yesterday, the gardener was kind enough to inform me that the P-Peony flowers are blooming quite nicely."

Her eyes twinkled. "You have Peony flowers here?"

He nodded.

"What color?"

"I believe they are pink."

"I'd love to see them."

"You can." he said, realizing that this was the most he had heard her talk.

"What other flowers do you have?" she asked.

"Ah, I do not know many names, I cannot even pronounce them properly," he laughed. "But hmm... I do know we have roses, lillies, daisies, tulips and Camellis."

"You mean _Camellias_," she corrected him.

"Yes, that," he made a face. "Like I said, I cannot pronounce many names properly."

She smiled, her pretty pink lips curving upwards.

"Well," he cleared his throat as he glanced back at the party, "I think we have talked much. It is time to return to our guests."

**[][][][][][][][]**

Two days later, Chad walked into his stables and came to a stop before a brown stallion. "How are you, Abaccus?"

"Me, I'm perfectly alright." his horse replied.

Abaccus had been a birthday gift to Chad from the Kings of Narnia. As a talking animal, Abaccus had a very dry sense of humor and a very proud personality – but Chad loved the horse nonetheless, even if that meant facing the stallion's strangest moods and comments.

And even though Chad would never admit it out loud, but over the last year, he had come to enjoy his weird conversations with the horse.

"If you're alright then why did you refuse when I asked to ride you today?" the Lord of Daelhr questioned.

"Can't a horse take a break?"

Chad blinked. "Don't horses love riding?"

"You have other horses. You should ride them too."

"But you know that you're my most favorite horse."

"Flattery, eh?" Abaccus made a sound what seemed to be an equivalent of a snort, "Thanks to you, the other horses are jealous of me."

It was Chad's turn to snort. "Oh, really?" he asked, crossing his arms over his chest. "And _why_ would they be jealous of you?"

"Well, I'm the better one amongst them all, hence me being your favorite."

Chad rolled his eyes. "Always the haughty one, Abaccus!"

Abaccus shook his head in what would have been a shrug. "I'm just saying that I'm on a break for today and I'm not going to ride. No matter what!"

"You -"

"Ah, Chad, you're back!"

The Lord of Daelhr turned around to see Philip walking towards him. Next to him was Alianna with a white lily in her hands.

"I am," he replied. "What brings you here?"

"I'm actually just leaving. I came to see Alianna."

Chad nodded.

"How was work?"

"Normal – there are a few things to discuss but we can do that later on. I'm tired right now."

"As you wish. I'll see you two later," Philip shrugged and turned to hug Alianna before motioning to a stable-boy to bring his horse outside.

Once he left, Chad and Alianna stood alone with the horses. And strangely it was quiet – well, as quiet as it could be in the stables.

Alianna cleared her throat. "How was your day, milord?"

"Well," he replied. "And yours?"

Her face lightened up in an instant. "I went to the gardens today."

He smiled slightly. "Did you like them?"

Alianna nodded. "I did not know you had Gerbera flowers here."

"Yes, well..." he trailed off.

"They are very beautiful, don't you think?"

Chad was silent for a short moment. "I'm afraid I do not know which flower you're talking about." He admitted sheepishly. "I like greenery and flowers but I'm no expert."

"The big pink and yellow colored flowers that you find when you go a little lower down the hill." she explained.

"Ah, yes," Chad nodded. "I saw them during a stroll. They're pretty bright."

"Don't mind me, you know," Abaccus suddenly said. "Just keep on talking as if I'm some sort of _animal_."

Chad couldn't help but laugh at that. "But you are a horse."

"A _talking_ horse," the stallion corrected. "Have some manners and at least introduce me to her!"

"Of course," Chad stepped back and turned to his wife, who seemed surprised and was staring at the horse wide-eyed. "Alianna, this is my horse Abaccus and Abaccus, this is Alianna, my wife."

Alianna seemed to snap out of her shock and moved towards the horse, running a hand over its face. "He is a handsome beast," she murmured.

"Why, thank you, my lady," Abaccus said, his tone pleased. "It is an honor to meet you."

Chad raised an eyebrow but said nothing, watching his wife and his horse with interest.

"Would you like to go out for a ride with me today, Lady Alianna?" the stallion asked.

"Wait a minute!" Chad exclaimed before Alianna could reply. "How come you refused to ride with _me_ today but you are ready to go with her?"

"It's not my fault that she is pretty and you're not," the horse muttered.

Alianna stifled a giggle, her cheeks turning pink in embarrassment.

And Chad glared at his horse. "One of these days I'll cut out that obnoxiously long tongue of yours" he threatened, though both him and the horse knew that he would never do such a thing.

"You will not," Abaccus said. "You love me and you enjoy these _obnoxious_ conversations with me."

"You're very lucky that I do," he agreed grudgingly.

"Now, can I take this charming young lady for a ride?"

"Are you going to flirt with my wife, then?" Chad asked.

"Maybe."

Chad rolled his eyes and in spite of himself, smiled. "What has put you in a bad mood?"

"The fact that it took you so long to introduce me to your wife!" the horse whined. "I'm your best horse, aren't I?"

"I'm sorry," Chad apologized.

"It's alright." Abaccus nudged Alianna. "About that ride…?"

"Umm," Alianna looked at Chad, as if asking for permission. When she saw Chad nod, she turned back to the horse, smiling. "I'd love to, but some other day. It is almost night."

"Fair point."

"Well," Chad said, "We'll see you later, Abaccus. You have some good rest."

"You too."

"Goodbye, Abaccus," Alianna murmured.

And a minute or two later the Lord and the Lady of Daelhr were walking back towards the huge mansion.

"This is great, you know," Chad muttered, his voice filled with mock-irritation, "My horse likes my wife more than he likes me."

Alianna smiled, twirling the lily in her hands.

Chad tilted his head to the side. "Did you pick this from the gardens?"

"I'm sorry," she apologized.

"Don't be."

She looked away.

The two walked in silence for a few moments. And then, strangely, it was Alianna who broke it.

"I would like to spend more time wandering in the gardens."

"I told you that day too - you can."

Taking a deep breath in the fresh air, she smiled. "I love Spring. Nothing is more beautiful than seeing a blossoming flower dance in the cool breeze."

He stared at her face that was illuminated in the moonlight – Her snow white skin, her soft pink lips and her mesmerizing blue eyes. Her golden hair were tied in a braid, a few locks that had escaped swayed with the soft breeze...

… And Chad decided that he disagreed to her statement.

**[][][][][][][][]**

_Chad was sitting on the floor, a blanket wrapped around him, as he stared blankly into the fire roaring in the small fireplace._

_His mother stood by the window, looking outside, each of her feature filled with worry. "It is late now," she said. "Kayla is not here."_

"_You worry too much, mother," he said, shrugging. "It is her last day at work. She must be saying her goodbyes to the other servants."_

"_But it is _so_ late."_

_Her mother had an old habit of worrying about everything. He shook his head with a sigh that soon turned into a sneeze. Coughing, he wiped his nose on a handkerchief and groaned. He hated being sick._

_His sneeze, however, at least diverted his mother's attention. "That herbal tea must be ready," she said, walking to the tiny kitchen._

_He sat quietly, waiting for his mother to bring him that disgusting tea when there was a knock on the door._

"_Chad," his mother called, "Could you please get that?"_

"_Yes, mother," he said and got up; the blanket still wrapped around him as he walked to the door and opened it._

_The thirteen-year-old boy froze, his stomach churning with horror._

_Kayla stood at the doorway, her dress bloody and dirty, torn in such a way that it did not do much to cover her body. Her arms hung by her sides, covered with numerous bruises and mud. Her hair was wild and messy. He could see blood on her legs._

_But her face – it was something that he knew would haunt him forever. Her eyes were lifeless, dead and dark, like she was still being attacked by some demons. Her swollen lips trembled. The side of her head was bleeding._

_She limped into the house looking like a corpse._

"_Kayla?" he had asked, almost scared of what he was seeing._

_And her eyes met his._

"_Kayla?" he repeated softly._

_And she collapsed in his arms, clinging close to his chest. Bewildered, Chad wrapped his arms around her shaking torso and sunk to the ground. As quickly as he could, he took the blanket off himself and used it to cover his sister._

_And that was when she screamed. She screamed until her voice went hoarse._

_He heard his mother rush out – sound of shattering china following her. He heard his mother's yelp of surprise as she kneeled down next to him, asking Kayla what happened._

_But he did not care. __All that mattered to him was to calm her down. He held her tight, his own eyes tearing up for some reason._

_She managed to say a few words, a few words that were enough, _enough_ to explain what had happened to her._

"_Alfred… tore my clothes… Emery and Bayard too… On the street… Hurt… I begged… t-they… _NO_!"_

_And then Kayla cried. She cried and cried and cried._

_Her voice echoed in his ears and he wanted her to stop. To stop crying._

_Those sobs were hurting him._

_And he was scared._

_And sick._

_And it hurt to see his sister like this._

_She was hurt._

_She was broken._

_She was bleeding._

_And he had to do something before she died._

_Chad stood up, and without bothering to garb himself in warm clothes or even put on his shoes, he stepped out of the tiny hut they lived in, into the chilly weather and ran._

_Joseph – he would get Joseph. Joseph loved Kayla, he would help, he would get her healed and he would be able to calm Kayla down…_

"_Chad!" his mother was calling him, standing in the doorway._

_He didn't care, he ran, the stones piercing his skin, the wind and the snow chilling him to the bone. He ran._

"_Stop!"_

_He would save his sister. He would make things right. He had to. He had to._

"_Stop!"_

Chad's eyes flew open as he pushed himself into a sitting position, breathing heavily. He blinked a few times to let his vision clear.

He was not on the street. He was in his room.

A hand came to rest on his shoulder and he jumped.

"Milord?" Alianna said, alarmed. "Are you alright?"

"I'm f-fine." He managed to say. "Go back to sleep."

"I've been trying to wake you up for a while," she said, concern etched on her face. "You were twitching in your sleep."

He remained quiet, focusing on his breathing. In. Out. In. Out. In -

A glass of water entered his vision. "Drink."

He obeyed, gulping the water that she offered. "Thank you."

She looked at him intently.

"It was just a… bad dream," he consoled. Why was he consoling her when he was the one who was badly shaken?

"Do you wish to talk about it, milord?"

_No_, he had wanted to say but he surprised himself by nodding slowly. Alianna did not say anything, but waited for him to speak.

It took him a minute or two to calm down when he slumped back against the headboard. "I was reliving some of the bad t-times of my life," he told her in a low voice. "I usually do."

"What did you see?"

"I saw Kayla when she returned home after... She was hurt and crying –" he shook his head, unable to go on. "I'm sorry, I cannot talk about it."

She nodded slowly. "Think of something good, milord." She suggested.

"Like what?"

She shrugged. "Anything that gives you happiness."

_Happiness_.

Unbidden, the beautiful face of the Valiant Queen flashed before his eyes.

_Lucy..._

Lucy made him happy. Truly happy.

_Lucy and Harry..._

But thinking about her only brought him pain nowadays.

No, he couldn't – wouldn't – think of her.

"I don't know," he said miserably and then turned to Alianna. "I'll be fine in some time. You should go to sleep."

"So should you," she said, placing her hand on his shoulder and motioning him to lie down. "Try."

Once again, he found himself obeying hiswife.

His head touched the soft pillow and her hand hesitantly moved to his hair. She ran her fingers through his hair, removing the locks from his forehead before she moved her hand away to pull the covers over him.

And that was when he heard it – a tune being hummed in one of the most melodic voices he had heard. It took him a moment to realize that its source was his wife.

He stared wide-eyed at her. "You can sing?"

"I'm a terrible singer," she replied.

"You were singing."

"I was humming. Everyone can."

"Not me," he told her.

"Have you ever tried?"

He shook his head.

"Please do."

"I'll pass." He said, tilting his head to the side, "Though I must say I'm very much interested to hear _you_ sing."

Her eyes widened. "No."

"Come on!"

"I told you," she mumbled, embarrassed. "I'm a terrible singer."

"Let me be the judge of that."

She shook her head.

He took her hand. "Please?"

"N-No."

And there was a tapping on the door. Urgent tapping.

Chad frowned. "Who would it be at this hour?" he asked.

Alianna got off the bed, slipping a robe over her short nightdress, and walked over to open the door. A guard stood outside, out of breath. He bowed.

"Yes?" Alianna asked.

"Milady, milord," he said, looking at Chad. "The market place on the other corner of the city is on fire."

"_What_?" Chad asked, jumping to his feet in shock. "How?"

"We do not know," the guard replied. "The fire is spreading to nearby houses as well."

"Have the area evacuated and tell them to try to control the fire," Chad ordered. "I'll be get there as soon as possible."

It took Chad about two minutes to get ready and he rushed out of his room.

"Milord?" Alianna called, standing in the doorway.

He stopped and turned to look at her impatiently.

"Take care."

He blinked. Nodded. And walked away.

**[][][][][][][][]**

The sun was setting. It was the next day and the Lady of Daelhr was in the living room with Kayla.

Chad had left last night and had not returned the whole day. A few servants had informed them that the fire had been taken care of and Chad was fine.

Alianna wondered if her father and her brother had anything to do with this fire.

Of course they had.

Flames bursting out on their own in the middle of the night was highly unlikely...

"Don't worry about him."

Alianna blinked and looked up at Kayla questioningly.

"Don't worry about him," Kayla said kindly, mistaking Alianna's thinking expression as worry for Chad, "I'm sure Chad is fine and busy with his work."

Alianna nodded.

Another hour passed in silence.

Kayla stood up with a sigh. "I'm going to retire for the night." she said. "You should sleep too."

"I will."

"Sleep before Chad returns," she said quietly. "He doesn't like it when someone stays up waiting for him late at night."

Alianna frowned. "Why?"

Kayla shrugged. "That is just how he is." With that, she walked away.

Alianna sat quietly in the living room for a long time, staring blankly at a painting on the wall, when she heard footsteps outside in the hallway.

She stood up and walked out - only to find herself face to face with her husband.

"Alianna!" he seemed surprised for a second.

"Milord Chad," she quickly said, "You're back."

"Why are you up so late at night?"

"I..." she trailed off. "What happened?"

"Were you waiting for me?"

"Would you like to have something to eat?"

He sighed again and looked down at his clothes that were covered in dirt. "Yes."

Without another word, Alianna walked to the kitchens and prepared a tray of food for Chad. Returning to the chambers with it, she found Chad sitting on the couch, his hair wet and now dressed in fresh clothes.

"Here you go, milord," she murmured, placing the tray before him.

"Thank you," he said, picking up a piece of cucumber. "Now, will you tell me why you were waiting for me?"

"I couldn't sleep."

"Did you try?"

She shook her head.

He sighed. "I don't want you to do that, okay?"

"Why not?"

"Because I don't want to burden others."

"You were not."

"I still don't like it." he said firmly. "I don't like being an inconvenience or a burden to others."

She nodded slowly. "The fire, what happened?"

"It was huge, many of the shops and two of the nearby houses were burnt to the ground. Their owners have faced much losses."

"Was anyone injured?"

He nodded solemnly. "Two men and one woman injured. Three men died in trying to control the fire." He paused. "I'm going to visit their families tomorrow."

"Why?"

"They were sons, fathers, brothers, husbands," he told her. "And they've died, trying to protect others. I have to meet their families and offer my condolences. It is not much, but I will do it nonetheless. The same goes for the injured."

"Can I come with you," she asked slowly.

"... If you want to."

"I want to." she paused, staring at him intently. "And did you find out the cause of the fire?"

"No." He frowned. "There was nothing that would help us determine the cause. I've asked Philip to investigate the matter."

"Investigate?"

"I don't think that this was just an accident."

Alianna bit her lip, wondering what would happen if Chad found out that her family was behind this.

"Don't worry," Chad said kindly, misunderstanding her expression just like Kayla did. "I'm sure I'll figure it out."

She nodded slowly.

"So," Chad said, eating his food. "What did you do today?"

"Nothing."

He looked at her. "No walk in the gardens?"

She shook her head.

He sighed. "You need not to worry about me."

"Why not?" the question just left her mouth before she could ponder over it.

"Because I don't like it," he told her. "I'm not worth it."

She frowned but did not say anything.

The two were quiet for a few minutes.

"I must say, I expected you to question me about what I said," he said with a laugh. "And you didn't. You surprised me again."

"_Again_, milord?"

He nodded. "Again." He stated, refusing to elaborate.

"Is that a good thing?" she asked in a low voice.

His green eyes narrowed. "How do you do that?"

"Do what, milord?"

"Talk like that."

She looked at him, clearly confused by his question.

"I've almost never heard you talk loudly, your voice is always low, shy," he explained, "And soft - like a feather's gentle caress. How do you always talk like that?"

"... I do not know."

"It is alluring at times."

She blushed but remained silent otherwise.

"And how come you talk so less?"

"Do I?"

"Yes, you barely talk," he paused. "I met Demetrius today. He said that he saw us talking at the luncheon that day and he claims that that is the most he had seen you speak in one day."

She looked away. "I... don't know how to talk to others."

He blinked, surprised by this answer. "Quite the contrary, I think your manner of talking to others is perfect."

"Not the manner, the content," she explained. "I never had anyone to talk to."

"Friends?" he asked.

"None."

He smiled. "I never had any friends in my childhood as well."

"Why not?"

"I had a hard childhood." he replied with a shrug. "But you didn't."

"No, I didn't."

"Then why didn't you make friends?"

"I don't know," she said. "My brothers were always good at it. Philip had his friends in a village nearby and E-" She stopped, her blue eyes going wide.

Chad's body involuntarily stiffened. He didn't want it to, but his gaze turned into a glare involuntarily, fixed on his wife.

A gasp escaped her lips. "I'm sorry!" she said, her voice shaking. "I didn't mean to... I shouldn't..."

She stood up quickly, moving away from him, tears filling her eyes.

Chad blinked when he saw her fear, his eyes softening when he realized that his anger had scared her. He stood up and took her hand. "Calm down. It was just a mistake," he told her. "Why are you reacting like this?"

"Because I shouldn't have..."

"It's okay," he said. "Forget it."

She nodded uncertainly. Her father and Philip would not be happy if they found out that she had mentioned _him_.

"Do you miss him?"

Alianna blinked, caught off guard by the question. Her father and brother had not told her what to do if a question like this came up.

And it had. What should she say? What should she do?

She was panicking.

Looking anywhere but at him, she tried to free her hand. "I'll t-take the dishes back to the k-kitchens."

Chad's hold in her hand tightened. "Alianna, look at me," he ordered.

And she found herself obeying. Her eyes moved to his green ones, and she knew that she was trapped in his gaze. Those mesmerizing pools of emerald would not let her look away.

"Do you miss him?" he asked, his voice gentle - almost understanding.

Her lower lip trembled as a tear of hopelessness fell down her cheek. "He was my brother," the shaky words left her lips.

"I know." Yes, his voice was filled with understanding.

And perhaps that is what made her cry. She had not been allowed to cry. She shouldn't. But she wanted to... and for some reason, she found that in front of Chad, she could.

Lowering her head, tearing her gaze away from him, she looked at the floor, silent tears dripping down her chin and he stood there, holding her hand, staring at her intently.

It was a short while later when she felt his fingers beneath her chin, forcing her to look back at him. His thumb wiped away her tears.

"Don't cry," he murmured. A pause, "You should take the dishes back to the kitchen."

* * *

><p><strong>Hey guys! Ennarre here...<strong>

**I just found out that CrazyKitCat is really sick. She is on a heart monitoring device. Please pray for her. **

**I hope you get better real soon, Cat. Love you! :)**

**Now, I hate long A/N's but... this one you'll have to read! :P**

**Firstly, I'm sure you've read about Kleimo and I hope he didn't freak you out as much as he did us. Stupid snoring ghost, I was too scared to go to the washroom that night because of you!**

**Now, I'm sorry for the delay in updating and I hope the long length of this chapter makes up for it. This chapter was centered in Daelhr, revealing more of Chad's life after his marriage and how Chad and Alianna (or Channa, as Cat named them) are bonding - or at least struggling to. A bit of fluff, a bit of angst, a bit of mystery - trust me when I say this: all of this is important.**

**Oh and I think that by the end of this chapter, almost a month has passed since the wedding. I hope to make the time span, or timeline or time-whatever more clear in the next chapter.**

**Some of you have been complaining that I'm ignoring the other characters. What can I say? I'm not. Well, I don't plan to. Cat and I have drawn out a general idea of where this story will go and you'll see everyone on this journey! As for the characters reactions to the situations, I don't know. When I closed my eyes and pictured each of them in this situation (keeping the last two destiny stories in mind) this is how I saw them react. I may be wrong, I may be right - but in any case, this is what my words shaped up and we'll have to live with it!**

**To those who were wondering: yes, I read each review and when I do, I come up with a perfect reply to every one of them. I'm just too lazy to actually type it and send it. And that is very bad of me. I'll try to reply to the reviews I get from now on, if that is what you want. **

**Next chapter: we run back and forth between Daelhr and the Cair. At least that is the plan for now... we might end up changing it, considering how crazy Cat and I are, but oh well...!**

**Thank you for reading. Take care. Aaaaannnndddd:**

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**VVVVV  
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	13. Chapter 13

**Hey everybody! I spent an hour writing replies to your reviews and finalizing this chapter and when I clicked 'Save', fanfiction decided to be a bad baby and stopped responding... -.- **

**Anyways, I'm sorry for the delay in the chapter... Midterms, assignments - you cannot blame me, right?**

**Oh, and Cat is fine now. Yayy! :)**

**The replies to the reviews are at the end, but for now - go on, read and enjoy and REVIEW!**

**Disclaimer: Narnia is not mine.**

* * *

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**Desires and Destiny**

**Chapter 13**

**.**

"And you should not worry about the expenses of your household," Chad said to the young widow as he stepped out of the small house. "Your children will have food to eat and clothes to wear."

"Thank you, milord," the woman said. "That means a lot."

"It's the least I could do," he said. "Considering the fact that your husband sacrificed his life trying to save others from that fire."

"I'm proud of him."

Chad smiled slightly. "As am I."

"Thank you for visiting, milord and milady."

"You're welcome," Alianna said to the woman. "Take care of yourself and your family."

Lord Chad and Lady Alianna then slowly walked back towards the carriage with their four guards right behind them.

It was mid-afternoon and they had visited the houses of all the victims of the fire that had spread out in the marketplace two days before. It had taken all morning and Chad was extremely tired. He had a meeting with Demetrius and Philip late that evening, which meant that he had about three to four hours to himself - and he couldn't wait to go back to Ardross and take a nap!

A sharp intake of breath made him snap out of his thoughts and he saw Alianna regain her balance. Apparently, she had stumbled a bit while walking. And now that he was looking at her, he noticed it - the troubled look on her face. She seemed to be deep in thought, her eyes not really focused and her lips pressed him a firm line.

"Are you okay?" he whispered to her.

She blinked in surprise and then smiled slightly, though he could tell clearly that it was forced. "Y-Yes."

He did not say anything until they reached the carriage and one of the guards opened the door for them.

As Alianna was about to step in, Chad moved in her way. "Would you like to take a walk with me?" he asked her politely.

"Milord?" she asked, glancing at the guards and the people who were gathered there.

"Walk with me," he said before turning to the guard, "Take the carriage back."

"Yes, milord." the guard nodded.

"And all of you can return to Ardross too. We'll come by ourselves."

The disapproval was clear on their faces but they did not say anything.

Chad turned to his wife and motioned towards the road. "Shall we?"

She nodded uncertainly and the two started walking, trying to ignore the whispers coming from the people who had gathered to see the Lord and the Lady of the city.

A few minutes later, the couple was walking almost alone, with less people surrounding them.

"Now," Chad began, "Tell me what is wrong."

"Nothing," she replied.

"You're lying."

She did not say anything.

"You're upset," he stated. "Why?"

It took her a few moments to reply. "Seeing those people disturbed me."

Chad frowned. He hadn't expected that answer and he didn't know what she meant by it. "How come?"

"Those who were injured and those who lost their businesses and the families of those who died." She spoke in a hushed voice, "It's sad."

"It is," Chad nodded. "But had I known that this would have affected you in such a way, I would have visited them alone."

Alianna was silent for a few moments, her eyes somewhere far down the road. "This man, whose house we visited last," she said, "He had a daughter who was only three."

"She is a sweet child." Chad said, remembering the little girl who had been sitting in a corner, looking shyly at them as she played with her dolls.

"And she will never know who her father was."

"She will," Chad told her, "I'm sure her mother will tell her about him."

"But she will never know him personally," Alianna argued. "She will never play with him. She will never talk to him. She will never see him."

Chad sighed. "Life is unfair, Alianna."

She did not speak for a short while, and when she did, her voice shook slightly. "No child should have to grow up without a parent."

"No child at all," Chad agreed, his thoughts going back to his own childhood.

And then he smiled bitterly as he realized that they were passing by the exact street where he had lived before he became the Lord of Daelhr - when he was nothing but a servant with a crazy sister who was considered a harlot by everyone in the neighborhood.

In the last five years, he had set foot in this street only once and that had been a quick tour. After that, he had asked Philip or Demetrius or someone else ensure that the needs of the people of this area had been taken care of properly - and it looked much better than the memories of his childhood - but he had not had the guts to come visit this place by himself. There were too many bad memories lingering here... bad memories that he did not want to return to.

Chad stopped, his eyes moving from the small huts to a boy sitting alone on a log, staring longingly at a group of three children playing with marbles nearby.

The Lord of Daelhr remembered being alone as a child, wishing that other children would play with him. He remembered the boys bullying him, hitting him, calling him names, saying bad things about his mother...

He remembered hugging his mother and crying, wondering what he had done wrong and why everyone hated him.

"Milord?" Alianna asked.

"Come," he said and then walked down the street and towards the lonely boy. Once he was close enough, he put on a smile on his face, "Hello there!"

The boy looked up at him and his eyes went wide. "You're Lord Chad!"

"Yes, I am." Chad smiled. "And who are you?"

"Terry."

"Nice to meet you, Terry." Chad paused. "Now, what were you doing?"

"Nothing."

Chad made a face. "That is not very productive." he glanced at the other kids who had stopped playing to look at him in surprise, "Why aren't you playing with them?"

Terry looked down sadly. "Because I'm terrible at marbles."

"And how will you get better at it if you don't play?" Chad asked. "Haven't you heard, practice makes perfect?"

"They won't let me play because I'm so bad at it." Terry said then looked somewhere behind Chad.

Chad looked over his shoulder. Alianna stood a few feet from him, a look of confusion and wonder on her face.

"Ahh, how rude of me, I didn't introduce you to my wife," he smiled. "Terry, meet Alianna. And Alianna, this is Terry."

Alianna smiled at the boy and took a few steps forward so that she was standing next to her husband.

"She is your wife?" Terry asked.

Chad nodded.

The boy shuffled his feel shyly, his cheeks getting red. "She is pretty," he mumbled, embarrassed.

Chad laughed.

"Thank you, Terry," Alianna smiled at the boy. "You're very handsome too."

The other three boys ran up to them.

"I saw you two," one of them said, clearly awed. "You're the Lord and the Lady of the city!"

"Wow!" another said.

"How do you know him?" the third asked, pointing at Terry.

"He is my friend," Chad told them.

"_Really_?" Disbelief shone in the boys' eyes..

"Yes," Chad said. "And he just told me that you won't let him play with you."

"But that is because he is very bad at the game," the first boy said.

"Why don't you tell him how to play?"

"We explained the rules to him twice already," the third one complained. "He still won't play it right!"

"So you're not letting him play at all?"

The boys nodded.

"That's wrong," Chad told them. "How will he ever learn or improve if you won't even let him try? Good friends don't do that."

"We are not very good friends with Terry," one of them pointed out innocently.

Chad smiled. "But you're good boys. And good boys make friends and play with them. They have patience and love for their friends."

"He is right, you know," Alianna spoke up. "Do you know that when I was your age, I asked my brother to teach me how to play marbles and I was very bad at it."

"Really?" Terry asked, surprised by this new information.

"Really," Alianna told them. "And I used to ruin every game we played for _days_. It drove my brother mad, but he still patiently waited for me to learn it."

"Did you learn it?" a boy asked.

"It took some time but yes, and when I did, my brother and I had some great times playing it." the Lady of Daelhr smiled. "So you see, a little trouble is not a bad price to pay if you're going to earn a good friend and so many enjoyable moments in the end."

Chad listened to her words silently, impressed by the wisdom shining behind them and also by the way she was handling the children. By the looks on their faces, he was sure that Terry would never be without playmates again.

Sure enough, this was confirmed a moment later.

"If that is the case," the first boy said, "Then Terry should play with us."

The other two agreed as well.

"And you should play with us too!" he said to Alianna.

She blinked in surprise. "No!"

"Please?"

"Umm, no really -"

"Please?" All four of them said, pouting.

Alianna let out a short laugh. "Just one game," she said, turning to Chad. "May I?"

"Go ahead," the Lord of Daelhr said as he sat down to watch them play.

Alianna was pretty good at it, he noticed. And when she won the game, the couple waved goodbye to the kids and started walking.

"I thought we came that way," Alianna murmured, pointing in backwards direction.

"We did," Chad said. "But I want to see something."

"What?"

"You'll see," he paused. "That was very kind, what you did for Terry."

"You did it, milord, not I."

"You convinced them."

She did not say anything, though he could sense that she still though she did nothing.

"The story you told the children," Chad spoke up, "Was it true?"

She nodded.

He chuckled. "I didn't Philip had that kind of temperament, teaching someone a game and then actually having patience till they learned it right."

Alianna looked away, whispering something.

"I'm sorry," Chad said, "Could you repeat that?"

She hesitated. "It was not Philip who taught me that."

Chad faltered, his body stiffening involuntarily. "I see."

She had caught his tone. "Sorry," she mumbled.

He did not say anything and the two were silent.

Chad stopped before a small wooden hut. The small garden was full of wild plants and a few broken pots - it was clear that no one took any care of it. The hut itself was old and worn, with a broken window. The front steps were covered with dirt and it was clear that no one had stepped on them in a long while.

"We're here," he told her quietly.

"But this place is deserted," She said in a low voice.

"I know," Chad replied, "No one lives here now. Do you know whose house this is?"

She shook her head.

"It's mine."

**[][][][][][][][]**

"Why are you not doing anything about this?"

"We do not have any proof."

"But you're the High King, Peter," Lucy said, "Surely, you don't need proof."

"I do, Lucy," Peter sighed. "Demetrius and Philip are Chad's most trusted advisers and you and Harry say that you overheard them -"

"Do you not believe Harry and I?"

"Yes, of course I do," Peter replied. "But think about it this way: I just can't just march out to Daelhr and tell the Lord that his counselors are plotting against him without any cold, hard facts supporting my claim. This must be done the proper way, otherwise things _will_ get out of hand."

The Valiant Queen slumped back in her seat. Peter was right. But it was so difficult for her to stay calm when she knew that the life of someone she cared about was being threatened.

Demetrius and Philip were plotting against Chad - how could she just stay quiet about it?

She had to do something..._anything_... only she didn't know _what_.

Any attempt of talking to Chad would be useless. He was angry at her. He would never listen to her. She was sure that if Peter tried talking to him, he would listen. Chad respected Peter too much to ignore what the High King had to say.

But what Peter said made sense too... They could not simply barge into Daelhr and dismiss the most trusted counselors of the Lord of Daelhr when Chad was happy with them.

They needed proof. Some sort of evidence.

And Lucy could not think of how she would get it. She didn't even know why Demetrius and Philip hated Chad to begin with!

She wasn't going to be getting anywhere.

At least not while she was sitting here in Cair...

"I want to go to Daelhr," she said suddenly.

"I'm sorry?" Peter blinked in surprise.

"I said I want to go to Daelhr."

"Lu, you know how much seeing Chad and Alianna together hurt you last time," Peter said slowly. "I'm not going to let you go there so you could hurt yourself even more."

"Listen to me, let me go there. I'll try to find out Demetrius' motives."

"I cannot let you do that," Peter said. "It's too dangerous."

"But necessary."

"No."

"Are you going to sit quietly on the sidelines and watch them plot against Narnia?"

"Of course not!" Peter exclaimed. "How could you even say anything like that?"

"Then let me go," she said. "They don't know that I know about their secret, so they won't harm me."

Peter considered this. "But why would you want to go to Daelhr?" he asked. "I mean, everyone knows that you're not... on the best terms with Chad."

"I'm a Queen of Narnia. I should be allowed to go wherever I want."

Peter chuckled. "You have a point. But I'm just asking you what others might ask."

She considered that. "You're right." She sighed. "I'll come up with a reason, don't worry."

"If you can do that, then I think its okay that you go to Daelhr," Peter said. "You'll take Harry with you, of course. And I expect you to come back with fruitful results as soon as possible."

"I will."

"And I also want you to take care of yourself."

She smiled. "I will."

"And to not hurt yourself by becoming too attached with Chad."

Her smiled faltered.

"I know you love him, Luce and I know you're doing all of this for him," he said. "And I understand that. He is my friend too, I want him safe. But you have to let him go, he is not yours anymore."

"I don't want to talk about this."

"How long are you going to avoid this topic before you just accept the facts Lucy?"

"For as long as I can."

"Lucy..."

"Peter," the Valiant Queen took a deep breath, "Please." Her voice was firm.

He blinked in understanding. "I just don't like seeing you so sad."

"I know," she stood up and hugged him. "I'll be fine and happy. I promise."

"That's my little sister," Peter smiled, hugging her back.

**[][][][][][][][]**

Alianna silently followed her husband into the small, empty house. The door had creaked, the floor was dusty and spider-webs covered the walls of the place. The living room was tiny, with a small fireplace and a moth-eaten rug. A pair of simple wooden chairs was also there – one was broken and the other toppled over.

A door led to a small kitchen, with empty cabinets and a few pieces of mismatched crockery. Another door was broken off its hinges and it let to what seemed to be the bedroom – only there was no bed in it, just a mattress, which was probably infested by insects, and a table and a chair.

"The last time I was here was before I became the Lord of Daelhr," Chad spoke up, his eyes moving all over the place. "Before Kayla and I went to Cair to actually speak out for our rights."

"Why didn't you return?" Alianna asked.

"Because I'm a coward," he replied. "The memories I have of this place haunt me in the Ardross and I was scared that they would only become more frightening if I came here again."

Her mind bubbled with questions. _What was the mystery of his past?_

All she knew – all most people knew – was that Chad was Lord Bryce's abandoned child, a living proof of an affair he had after his wife's demise. Poverty had led Chad to work as a servant for Lord Alfred, the very man who, along with his friends, had ruined the life of Chad's sister.

She wanted to know more – to know in detail, but he never spoke of it.

Every other night, he had nightmares – he would toss and turn and sometimes scream in his sleep. And she would wake him up. But then, he would often get out of bed and pace around the room, insisting that he will be fine and that she should go to sleep.

Kayla was so kind to her. But there were times when she would be so cut-off from everyone, and Alianna wondered…

Her father and brother did not know the details, or if they did, they did not tell her.

But she wanted to know. This man was her husband – and she had a right to know about his past.

She could guess that he had a hard life, but the nightmares and the screaming?

_How bad could it have been to break down a strong man like him?_

She forced herself out of her thoughts and turned to see Chad dusting the chair that he had straightened.

"You can sit here," he said, "It won't break."

Alianna hesitated.

"It hasn't been infested by moths either."

_Sit? Shouldn't we go back to the mansion now?_

"I'm sorry, there is nothing better here and I know you're not used to such cheap things."

"Umm, no," she mumbled, walking over and taking a seat. "It's alright."

She silently watched as Chad placed the wood of the broken chair and found a matchbox in the kitchen. Soon, a fire was lit in the fireplace and Chad slumped down on the floor across from her, running his hands on the remains of the rug beneath him.

"Do you want to sit here?" she motioned towards the chair, feeling bad that the Lord of Daelhr was sitting on the bug-infested carpet.

He shook his head. "No, I'm fine." A sad smile lit his face. "I used to sleep here, on this carpet."

"You did?"

"I used to let my mother and sister have the mattress. It was so uncomfortable sleeping here and my body used to ache," he said. "But then my mother used to come out and I would act as if I was sleeping. She would put a blanket over me and kiss my brow and then the hard floor would feel like a bed of roses."

Alianna smiled. "You loved your mother."

"I did, until she died."

Alianna's mother was dead and she still loved her mother now. _Then what was 'until she died' supposed to mean?_

She looked at him questioningly.

He sighed. "I resented her after that. She left me alone with a sister that I could not take care of. I hated her for choosing peace and dooming me to chaos."

"_Choosing_?" Alianna asked.

"She committed suicide."

Alianna blinked, taking in this new piece of information. "I'm sorry."

"I hated her and I loved her and I missed her." Chad paused, his eyes narrowing as he stared at her intently. "You do not know the pitiful story of my life, right?"

Slowly, she shook her head.

"Would you like to know?"

She did want to know, but she could not bring herself to say 'yes'. Her mouth refused to form the word 'no' too.

And then Chad laughed – it was a bitter sound. "It's ironic," he said, "This is the exact room where I first told Lucy about my life."

Alianna did not know what to say to that.

She knew that Chad had feelings for the Valiant Queen but -

"Would you like to know?" he repeated his question.

"W-Why?" was all that left her mouth.

But strangely, he understood – she could see it in his eyes, the meaning of her question: _why do you want to tell me?_

He shrugged. "It feels right."

"Then tell me."

And he did.

He told her everything. Word by word, inch by inch his story moved forward and she could almost see it happening before her eyes.

From the meeting of his parents to his father not accepting him, from him being labeled as a bastard to him being bullied and beaten by the other boys, from Kayla befriending Alfred to her engagement to Joseph, from how Kayla was raped to how she went mad after Joseph left her, and from his mother committing suicide to him going to Alfred and his friends and shouting at them – he told her everything.

Tears of rage and grief rolled down his cheeks and tremors ran through his body. He took deep breaths to calm himself, but it didn't work so he continued his story.

"No!" The whisper or horror left Alianna's mouth when he told her about Alfred slicing open his back.

He smiled sadly. "Yes."

She shook her head. "They couldn't d-do that," her voice shook. "Y-You were just a boy at that time. They c-couldn't be _that_ bad."

The two stared at each other in silence for a while.

And then he pulled off his tunic.

Alianna quickly looked away.

"Alianna," he said softly, "Look at me."

She did not respond, biting her lip lightly.

"Look at me," this time it was an order.

She turned and gasped.

His back was facing her and on his back were two long scars – healed but reminder of his pain nonetheless.

"Oh my," she gasped.

"Alfred's gift to me," he said bitterly.

Alianna got off the chair and kneeled on the rug, her eyes now tearing up as she stared at the wounds. Without thinking, she reached out and brushed her fingers over one of the scars.

As quick as lighting, Chad turned to face her, his face reflecting shock.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled. "Did it hurt?"

"No."

"It's so unfair."

"Life is unfair, Alianna." He repeated his words from earlier that day as he put his tunic back on.

Alianna slumped against the wall, no longer caring that she was sitting on a moth infected rug, as her tears finally flowed.

Chad sat down next to her. "I'm sorry."

"What happened after that?"

He didn't reply for a long while. But then, he started speaking again, and he finished his storyof how he had to work for Alfred, being tortured by him in all forms for years, and also taking care of Kayla who was completely unstable at that time.

"It cannot be described in words," he said. "The time I spent working for Alfred. Every time I would be around him, he would look at me and smirk. And his eyes would say to me 'I ruined your life and you're too week to do anything about it'. I hated him, but I had to obey him. For that I loathe myself."

"It was not your fault."

"I'll never be able to forgive myself."

"You didn't do anything."

"And yet I suffered. I suffered all my life."

She didn't have a reply to that. And he knew that.

Silence took hold of them.

Then, summoning up her courage, Alianna reached out and brushed her fingers on the back of his hand.

He turned to her and their eyes locked.

"You were brave," she murmured. "Not everyone has the courage to go through all of that. It would have been easy to choose the path your mother went on, but you stayed and suffered. It takes courage to do that."

He blinked and looked away, clearly surprised by her words. He reached out and slipped his hand into hers, his eyes fixed on their intertwined fingers. "... No one has ever said that to me." he said. "Thank you."

She smiled slightly but her curiosity won. "What happened then?"

He looked back at her as he pulled his hand away. "… And then that day Alfred thought that it would be interesting to take me to Cair when he was going for his wedding," Chad said. "I didn't want to leave Kayla behind but I had to. Perhaps that was some new way of pushing me into further depression."

"And then?"

He wiped his face with the back of his hands, not meeting her gaze. "That is a different story for another day," he told her. "Oh look! It is dark already. I had a meeting with Philip and Demetrius and I think I've missed it."

She remained quiet.

"Time to go," Chad got on his feet and held out a hand for her. "Come on."

She didn't take it, but she simply stared at him.

"What?" He asked after a few moments.

"You met Queen Lucy there, didn't you?"

With a sigh, his hand dropping to his side. "Yes. And she pulled me out of my shell and taught me to stand up for my rights," the words left his mouth slowly, hesitantly, "She changed me… but I do not want to talk about her, alright?"

She nodded.

"… Thank you," Chad said after a short while, "For listening."

"You're welcome, milord."

"It was not my intention on visiting this place but I saw you talking to those children and…" he trailed off, seeming unsure, "And I felt that you needed to know about my past."

She did not say anything, trying to figure out what he meant by that.

"I mean, when I was talking to Terry," he went on, "I could almost feel your confusion. You were wondering why I was talking to him and showing him such kindness. I thought you should know why."

"It was because you didn't want that boy to be lonely," she said, understanding dawning on her, "Like you were in your childhood."

He nodded.

The two lapsed into silence.

"We should leave," Alianna murmured.

"Yes we should," Chad said, holding out his hand once again.

This time, she took it and they walked out into the deserted alley, back towards the Ardross Mansion.

All that night, and throughout the next few days that passed, Alianna could not help but wonder about all that he had told her, and she could not help but see her husband in a new light.

**[][][][][][][][] **

"I'm telling you Adeline, our bedroom is haunted," The Gentle Queen told her sister-in-law during lunch.

"I'm sorry," Isabel interrupted. "Did you just say 'haunted'?"

"Yes."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because every night we hear giggling noises," Susan explained. "And it is not just any giggling, it is this strange kind of giggling - the one that irritates you."

"Of course," Caspian interrupted, "Every night, Susan gets more and more scared than irritated."

"Caspian, hearing giggling noises in your room _way _after midnight is not normal," Susan said, worried, "It is creepy. It means there is a ghost in our room."

"Please tell me that you don't seriously believe that?" Peter asked, gulping down water.

"What other explanation can there be for the sounds then?"

"Su is right, Pete," Edmund said, "If they're hearing sounds and there is no one in the room but her and Caspian, then it has to be some ghost."

"I don't know," Peter said, "The idea of a ghost haunting a King's and a Queen's bedchambers makes no sense to me."

"And not to mention that the ghost is not scary," Lucy piped in, "But it is a giggling ghost."

"The ghosts that seem unharmful are the more dangerous ones," Edmund stated.

"And how would you know so much about ghosts?"

"I read about them."

Everyone stared at the Just King.

"What?" Edmund asked uncomfortably.

"You read about them?" Lucy asked incredulously, "I didn't think you could do that."

"Very funny, Luce," Edmund rolled his eyes.

"No seriously," Isabel said, "You never read."

"Well I did," Edmund shrugged. "A few months ago, Susan was trying to lure me into discussing the ballroom decorations with her and I found that reading is better than doing that."

Peter laughed. "It sure is."

"So, I picked up a book randomly," the Just King explained. "And it turns out that it was about ghosts."

"Interesting," Peter said thoughtfully, staring at his brother for a moment before standing up. "Well, I think I'll go and see what the kids are up to before I return to my work."

**[][][][][][][][]**

"Milord," Alianna said one morning when Chad walked out of the wash-chambers.

"Hmm?"

"I was wondering..." she trailed off hesitantly.

"What is it?" he asked indifferently, running a towel through his wet hair.

"Can I visit my father today and spend the day at the Fulton Manor?" she asked slowly.

Chad paused, turning to look at her. "You wish to spend the day there?"

"I promise I'll be back before nightfall," she said quickly. "It's just that... I haven't seen the place since our wedding."

"Fulton manor is the place where you grew up. You don't have to ask my permission to go there." he told her.

"I just thought -"

"Just because you married me does not mean you are in a cage," he said kindly. "I see you hesitating, wondering and asking my permission before you do even the tiniest of things. You don't have to do that. You're the lady of the house. Do as you please."

She smiled. "Thank you."

He shrugged, throwing the towel on the couch and reaching out for his jerkin.

Alianna reached out and picked up the towel. "Don't do that," she said, her soft voice slightly disapproving, "The couch will get wet."

"Sorry," he mumbled.

Shy and quiet, Alianna still acted like a typical wife at times.

**[][][][][][][][]**

It was dark. A male figure approached a door cautiously. He reached out for the doorknob when someone collided into him – hard.

His reflexes kicked into action, and he pushed his attacked off him, ready to bring about an assault of his own.

His attacker, however, anticipated his move and quickly grasped his arms, pinning them to his back and pushing him against a wall. "I knew it." he said, his voice a whisper.

And Edmund let out a sigh of relief. "Peter!" he exclaimed. "Why did you attack me like that?"

"I know your defense tricks too well, Ed," The High King said, letting go of his brother. "It was so easy overwhelming you."

"Now you're just showing off."

"I'm merely saying you need to come up with new defense tactics if you want to stop losing to me."

"I can win," Edmund said, "I just didn't put all of my effort into defense right now."

"Really?"

"Yes," Edmund rubbed the back of his neck. "It is highly unlikely that anyone would breach all the security and then find me here and attack me. So, I subconsciously knew that it had to be someone from the family."

Peter shrugged, leaning against the wall. "Whatever helps you sleep at night, Ed," his blue eyes glared at him. "Not that you're getting any sleep these nights."

"That is private between me and Adeline, keep your nose out of –"

"Not that, you idiot!" Peter hit his brother on the head. "I meant this."

"What?" Edmund asked innocently.

"What are you doing outside Caspian's room at this time of the night?"

"I must have been sleepwalking."

"And I'm a ballerina dancer."

Edmund's eyes widened. "Really?"

"No!" Peter said, annoyed. "You're the giggling ghost, right?"

Edmund sighed. "How did you guess?"

"It wasn't that hard. I mean come on – what kind of a lame ghost giggles?" Peter asked. "And the casual way you were acting, it was so obvious."

"Did you tell Susan and Caspian?"

"No."

"Do you think they know?"

"I don't think so."

A smile spread across Edmund's face. "In that case, if you would excuse me…" With that, the Just King slowly crept into the room.

Peter decided to stay outside, but he pressed his ear against the door, listening closely. A few moments of silence passed and then he heard the most annoying and creepy giggling sound ever.

"Oh my goodness, the ghost has returned!" Susan's shriek was heard. "Wake up, Caspian! The ghost is laughing again."

"Let me sleep!"

The High King bit his lip to keep from laughing out loud. Edmund was good.

"How could you even say that?" Susan asked.

"Look, I'm tired and that arrogant big brother of yours planned a really busy day for us kings tomorrow." A pause, "I think he is still mad about that little argument we had that day."

That wiped the smile off Peter's face. _Arrogant, eh? I'll show him arrogant._

"That is nothing new. Peter and you have had millions of arguments. You two have a very strange friendship."

"We do," A pause, "Can we return to sleep now?"

The 'ghost' giggled again.

"Oh Aslan, please make this ghost go away!" Susan was saying.

"Susan, try to sleep!"

It was silent for a few minutes.

Peter frowned. What was going on?

And then the door opened and Edmund crawled out, closing it quietly.

"There," he said, standing up and dusting off his trousers. "That is the giggling ghost for today!"

"Impressive," Peter said, "Where did you hide?"

"That's a secret," Edmund replied as the two started walking down the hallway. "You're going to put Caspian through hell tomorrow for calling you arrogant, right?"

"I'm thinking about it."

Edmund shook his head. "Su is right. You two have a weird friendship."

"We do," Peter smiled. "How long are you planning on being the ghost?"

"For as long as Susan doesn't figure it out."

Peter chuckled. "She seemed pretty frightened."

"Oh, she is," Edmund laughed. "Caspian is more… indifferent though. At first, he was pretty freaked out. But I guess he has just accepted the fact that a ghost lives in his chambers now."

"Or maybe he just cannot give up his sleep."

"I always knew he is a smart man," the Just King stated, "And I'm not being sarcastic."

Peter thought over it for a few seconds. "Who cares if there is a ghost in our bedroom? I love my sleep," he said, "Yeah, Caspian is smart."

**[][][][][][][][]**

"Ready?" Philip asked.

Chad made an exasperated face. "Yes, I suppose."

"Look, I'm telling you," he said, "Just kill him."

Chad shook his head. "Don't be stupid. That will only lead to rebellion."

"Sometimes I wish you weren't so logical."

Chad chuckled. "Believe me when I say that I was extremely close to being illogical when Demetrius said that it was time to take a break."

"I know," Philip laughed. "I saw your face. Talan does that to people."

"I think my face was the reason Demetrius announced that it was time for lunch!"

"It was." A pause. "And you didn't even join them for lunch. Father said Talan and his friends were not very happy about it."

Chad shrugged. "Go to the meeting room," he said. "I'll just grab a few records from my study and see you there."

Philip nodded.

Chad massaged his temple with the tip of his finger and walked to his study.

_Don't kill him. Don't kill him. Don't kill him._

He chanted those three words again and again in his head.

Talan was the leader of the labour force in the city - the rebelling labour force in the city. That man had been causing much trouble for months now and Chad had tried to negotiate with him time and again...

… Just like he was trying to do so this day.

After two hours of arguments, Demetrius had suggested that they pause the meeting for lunch and Chad had gladly accepted the idea, hoping that some free time will help sate his headache and growing anger.

But that had not happened.

His head was pounding and he continuously had to remind himself that pulling out his sword and killing Talan will only create more problems than solving the ones he was already facing.

Chad walked into his study and ruffled through his papers, cursing Talan for even causing an uprising amongst the labour.

There was a knock on the door.

"Yes?" he asked absently, looking through the drawers in search for the papers he needed.

"Milord?" A voice he recognized as Alianna's said.

"Yes, Alianna?"

"You didn't eat lunch with Kayla and me."

"I haven't really done that since our wedding."

"But I was told that you did not dine with your guests as well."

"So?"

"You should eat."

"I'm not hungry," he said and then sighed in frustration.

"... Is something wrong, milord?"

"I can't a some very important papers," he said. "I remember leaving them on the desk."

She didn't say anything.

He glanced at her for the first time since she had come. Wearing a full sleeved dress of light yellow, she stood by the door, her blue eyes on him. "Did someone come here?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Who?"

She hesitated. "I told a few maids to clean your study," she replied, her voice low.

He blinked, his irritation increasing. "_Without_ my permission?"

"I thought -"

"What did you think?" he asked through gritted teeth. "There is a reason why I don't allow anyone in my study, Alianna. I have important things here - things that I'd prefer everyone keeping their hands and eyes away from."

"I'm sorry," she said, looking worried.

He turned away from her. "Go away," he ordered. "I'm busy."

She didn't speak again but he knew that she was still standing there.

"I think I told you to go."

"I'm sorry."

"I'll talk to you later, alright?" he said, forcing his voice to remain calm. "I'm busy looking for some important papers at the moment."

"I told them n-not to touch your things."

"Now now, Alianna."

He felt her move closer to him. "I-I can help you look for the -"

"I said not now!" Chad shouted, turning around to face his startled wife. "You've helped me enough, thank you _very_ much."

"I... I -"

"Who in the world gave you the right to have my study cleaned?" he asked, his voice still loud as he glared at her. "And now thanks to you, I'm late for the damn meeting and Talan will waste not a single moment in taunting me about my non-serious attitude. And then I'll have no evidence whatsoever supporting my arguments."

Her lower lip trembled and she lowered her head.

"Oh, don't use that innocent face of yours to cover up your stupidity!" he snapped and stormed out of the room.

Mind wrapped up in fury and irritation, the Lord of Daelhr entered the meeting room, only to find everybody sitting in their seats and staring at him.

"Gentlemen," he nodded and sat down at the head of the table.

"My Lord Chad, you're late."

_Just like I thought,_ he thought grimly and looked at the man who had said that. Tall and broad chested, Talan sat on a few seats away on Chad's left, a small smirk his face.

"Ah, yes, I was... occupied," Chad said. "My apologies."

"There is no need to apologize, milord, but I cannot wonder what kept you from your duty of being here," Talan said, leaning back in his seat as he looked around the table, "Surely, nothing is more important than the matter of peace in our beloved city."

"I think I'm concerned about the peace of this city more than you, Talan," Chad said coldly, "Perhaps that is why I'm still here, willing to negotiate with you even though you've broken your promises to me time and again."

He didn't reply, but his cold brown eyes glared at him as he smiled and inclined his head. "Milord."

"Talan," Demetrius spoke up, "We've asked you to stop the strikes and the rallies against Lord Chad and you have not done so."

"Well, when one does not get enough food to feed the entire family, it becomes hard not to protest."

Philip tilted his head to the side. "Tell me, Talan," he said, "Didn't your father own a small farm in the city?"

"What does that have to do with this?"

"And you not only grow crops there but you also own a cow?"

"But -"

"And from what reports tell me, most of the months your family has sufficient food to eat," Philip continued, "And over the last few months, you've had surplus of production that you sell in the market."

"Yes, so?"

"_So_, surely a man like yourself could donate this food to your fellow workers instead of selling it in the market."

Talan's eyes narrowed. "The land does not always remain fertile," he snapped. "What will I do when I do not grow enough food?"

"I'm not talking about the future, I'm talking about the present."

"It is not my duty to feed the people of Daelhr, it's his." Talan said, pointing towards Chad.

"You're right," Chad said. "It is mine -"

"But aren't we all supposed to work together to increase the welfare of our city?" Philip asked.

"We are, and those who do donate what they could spare are very kind," Chad said calmly. "However, if Talan decides to sell his crops, it is his choice and we have no say in that personal matter of his."

"You don't," Talan agreed, shooting Philip a glare. "In any case, I'm not here to discuss the food my family gets to eat -"

"But you're here to complain that you don't have enough of it nonetheless," Philip pointed out.

Chad hid a smiled. Philip had argued all about Talan's farm to bring him to this point. Smart man.

And now Chad decided to step in. "I'm afraid I must agree with Philip here," he said, "Isn't that what your entire campaign is based on? Less income, less money, less food? If you and your family has enough of it, I don't see why you're rebelling."

Talan seemed to be in thought for a moment. "I do it for my friends, for those who are almost dying of starvation."

"How noble of you." Chad leaned back in his seat. "No one in my city is dying of starvation, Talan, I've made sure of that."

"That is what you think." he sneered. "The view from this huge mansion of yours must not portray the poverty well... or perhaps you're too blind to see it."

"You will not speak to him like that," Demetrius said firmly. "He is your ruler and you -"

"Demetrius, please," Chad raised a hand to stop him before turning to Talan. "I said no one is dying of starvation in Daelhr. I never said that there is no poverty."

Talan stared silently at him for a minute. Then - "Why don't you just give the people what they want?"

"And what do they want?" Chad asked, "I'm sorry but all those strikes where you blocked the streets, scared the children with your shouts of protests and disrupted the everyday life of citizens, did not make it clear to me what you wanted."

"We want more payment." He spat. "You're making us work like animals -"

"_Work_?" Chad asked incredulously. "You and your labour has not showed up for work in the last two months!"

"You all were going on strikes when we had to visit Cair about three months ago," Demetrius began, "And when we returned, Lord Chad did raise your income and you all were fine with it. You even started working. Everything was going on fine until you decided to rebel again two months ago. Why is that?"

"Because we want more raise."

"And I want to dominate the world," Philip snorted. "We all have our insane fantasies, don't we?"

"Philip," Demetrius warned in a low voice.

"I am paying you more than enough for what you all do," Chad said. "Comparing what you do and what you earn to the earnings of the same amount of work to different cities of Narnia and even beyond, you will realize that what you get is much more than many others."

Talan looked at him and nodded. "And where are these statistics?" he held out a hand. "I'd like to see them."

Chad faltered. "I... I do not have them."

Talan smirked. "Your seriousness and devotion to solving the matters of the city is _exceptional_, my lord."

Those words, dipped in sarcasm, hit Chad like daggers. Every eye was on him, gauging his reaction and he focused all his attention on keeping his face blank.

A knock on the door made them all turn.

"Come in," Chad called.

A servant walked in and bowed.

"I thought I had made it clear that we were not to be disturbed," Chad said.

"Yes, milord," she inclined her head as she moved towards him. "But I brought the papers you asked for."

Chad almost frowned as he reached out and took the sheets of parchment she was holding out.

One glance at the papers filled his heart with relief.

"Philip," he said, holding out the papers to him, "Pass these to Talan, please. He was eager to examine these statistics."

"Of course."

"Thank you," Chad said to the servant, "You may go."

"And this is for you," she said, holding out a folded note to him.

Confused, he took it and she walked out of the room.

'Lord Chad' the note said on the outside. He had not seen this slanted writing before. He wasn't sure whom it was from and if he should read it now or not.

He glanced at the people around the table. Talan was reading the papers, his face going pale (much to Chad's satisfaction), a few people were looking at him, the rest at him.

Chad decided to open it. It was short and to the point.

_Lord Chad,_

_I did not mean to cause you so much trouble. I promise I shall never cross my limits and do such a thing again. I hope you can forgive me._

_Alianna._

And Chad let out a breath.

That is how those papers were here. She had looked for them and sent them to the meeting.

But this was not the time to think about that. Folding the paper quickly, Chad shoved it into his pocket and turned back to look at Talan.

Silence for a few minutes.

"So, you pay us more than a few other cities," Talan said dismissively, placing the papers aside.

Chad could not help but smirk. "I believe it is more than just a _few_ cities."

Talan glared at him. "We're still not happy."

"No man ever is."

"We need more payment," Talan said angrily. "You will have to pay us more."

"I'm afraid I cannot do that," Chad said firmly. "I cannot empty the treasury just to satisfy your demands."

"You can have a grand wedding, spend who knows how much on the decorations and the food but when it comes to paying the labour, the treasury gets burdened?"

Chad's eyes hardened. "Not a single unit of money that belonged to the people of Daelhr was spent on my wedding."

"Then how were you able to have such an extravagant event?"

"That is personal."

"I don't think it is."

"My wedding was financed by my money and by Demetrius', who happens to be the father of my wife," Chad said coldly.

Talan's eyes narrowed. "No offense milord, but how did you have so much money?" he asked. "Were you not a mere servant who polished his lord's boots once?"

"Enough!" Philip slammed his hand on the table, hard. "How dare you talk to him like that?"

"Do not do the mistake of thinking that you can cross your limits," Chad said, his voice dangerously low as his emerald eyes hardened. Somehow, his cold anger seemed much more threatening than Philip's outburst. "Watch your tongue before I decide that it is best to pull it out of your throat, Talan."

Talan's face paled, though he refused to shrink back. "I have a right to know."

"You do," Chad agreed. "But there is a proper way of demanding your rights - that is something you must learn."

"If this is about the strike -"

"This is about _all_ of it." Chad paused. "And to answer your question, I, too, receive an income that comes from the Kings and Queens of Narnia. Governing Daelhr is my job and I do not do it for free and neither did any of the Lords that were there before me."

Talan did not say anything so Chad continued.

"However, I do not think that I have to give you any explanation of my finances." He said. "As for your demands, I've raised the amount paid to each of the workers and still you are not happy."

"It is not enough," Talan stated once again. "We want a greater raise in our income."

"I'm afraid that is not possible."

"I'm afraid that stopping this rebellion against you will not be possible either, then." His tone was the same as Chad's. "There will be more strikes, more rallies, more rebellions until you succumb to our demands."

"I can have you arrested for what you're doing," Chad threatened.

"But you won't, because you know that you'll be making me a hero by doing that."

"No, I won't," Chad said, "But because I don't think that your wife will be able to raise those three sons and two daughters and take care of your old father all by herself."

Silence.

Talan opened his mouth and closed it again. Then, sneering, he said, "That was a low blow, even for you, don't you think?"

Chad smiled. "Oh believe me Talan, that wasn't even a blow." he paused. "I've had enough of this. If you want to solve this matter anytime soon, you will have to be willing to cooperate."

"We are willing to cooperate, milord," Talan said, "If you want to stop this rebellion, you will have to accept our demands."

"Perhaps your vocabulary is weak, Talan," Philip growled, "For that is not cooperating, that is blackmailing."

"We want a raise in our incomes."

"I refuse to do so," Chad said firmly, his voice hard and filled with authority. "And I'm going to stop any funds that you and your friends receive. If you want money, you'll have to earn it."

Talan stood up. "Is that your decision, milord?"

Chad held his head high. "It is."

"Then only you are responsible for the consequences of your decision." With that, Talan strode out of the room.

* * *

><p><strong>There you go. How was it? Do tell...<strong>

**Oh and I'm sure you all guessed where the idea of the giggling ghost came from. From our very own Kleimo - thank you for the inspiration but I still hate you for scaring me, you stupid snoring ghost! :P**

**And now for the review replies:**

****Peace-Love-Jackson: thank you. The fluff between Channa is very interesting to write! :)

MiaAndOak: No, you were right. There was supposed to be a question mark there... my bad! :P As for who 'E' is... I can't say. You'll have to wait till we decide to reveal that!

strawberry567: I cannot see Chad divorcing Alianna but I also cannot see him being so far away from Lucy too... gosh! I've put him in a hard place right?

LuMezenga: Nope, this other brother of Alianna was not introduced before. As for the kids, you'll be seeing a lot of them but you'll just have to be a bit patient. Please?

HighQueenP: yeah, the ghost thingy really happened. It was weird... And Cat is fine now. As for the kids, you'll be seeing a lot of them but you'll just have to be a bit patient. I know what your favorite characters are and who you want to see. You'll see them because Cat and I have planned a lot about the others as well but you'll have to wait for that...

[No Name] and ReadingWritingMusic1995: Thank you. I'm glad you liked it.

Nimneniel: yes well, I love ruining my character's lives with drama... and from what I've learnt about Cat, she loves it too. We're evil and mean. So yup, you'll be seeing lots of drama, I assure you! :P

LuvNarnia: Thank you! Honestly, right now - I have no plans of writing any one-shot or other story in the Destiny series (Idk what else to call it!). And as I mentioned in above replies, you'll get to see the kids. Just wait a bit! ... Oh, you reviewed twice. Well, like I said - blame education for the delay and not me! ;)

Calyn: Finally someone said what I really wanted to hear! I mean, sure I love Harry being a gentleman but enough is enough, right?

Shweirbones: Well, the prank just begun! :P And yes you'll see the others as well... stay tuned for that!

Anon: Here was a short summary. I couldn't add more, but I hope this helps you in remembering.

[No Name 2]: uhh, I have no idea about Chad's reaction. I don't even know if Harry is going to end up with Kayla or not. Joking. I know what I've planned for Harry, I'm just not gonna tell you now! :P As for the summary, here you go. Hope it helped.

yunaxxshadow: You'll have to wait for that!

**That's it for now.**

**Until next time... OH and**

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**VVVVV  
>VVV<br>V **


	14. Chapter 14

**Hello, our wonderful readers! How are you all?**

**Thank you to all the wonderful reviewers! We love you all!**

**Here is the next chapter of the story... We hope you like it. Go on, read and review!**

**Disclaimer: Narnia belongs to C.S. Lewis.**

* * *

><p><strong>.<strong>

**Desires and Destiny**

**Chapter 14**

**.**

Chad walked out of the wash chambers late that night, ready for bed and extremely tired from all the work he had to do, his mood still sour – thanks to Talan.

His wife sat on the bed, already dressed in her nightgown, reading a book. She looked up at him. He could see that she wanted to say something, but she didn't – or perhaps, she didn't know what to say to him.

The last he had seen her was in his study, when he had shouted at her. And he hadn't replied to her note of apology as well.

He could see the question swirling in her blue eyes: _Do you forgive me?_

Without saying a word, Chad walked over to the bed and slipped in, laying his head on the soft pillow as he pulled the blanket over himself.

Alianna's silent gaze was still on him.

And he didn't turn to look at her. He didn't want to.

Not yet... Because he wasn't sure what to say to her.

He was still angry at her, yes.

She should have asked him before she shuffled around his important things. It was mere luck that she had been able to find those papers on time and send it to him. But otherwise, he would have experienced great humiliation in front of others. His study was one place that no one was allowed into without his permission – not even Kayla or Philip or Demetrius. Alianna knew that. And yet, she was foolish enough to get it cleaned.

But he felt guilty for shouting at her too.

He had really scared her with his shouting. He could vividly remember how she had flinched and stepped away from him, as she tried to apologize again and again. And she had found those papers and sent them to him on time. She didn't have to, but she did nonetheless. And she had also sent him that apology.

Chad took a deep breath as he turned away from her and closed his eyes.

He was too tired and too confused at the minute. He would deal with Alianna the next morning.

He felt Alianna lay down, and all was silent for a long while. He felt himself slowly drifting to sleep…

And then he heard a sob.

Was it in a dream or was it real?

He wasn't sure.

Another sob – a low sound that reached his ears.

He frowned. It didn't seem like a dream.

Confused and groggy, he opened his eyes, his ears alert.

This time he heard a sniff, as if someone was trying not make a sound.

Chad looked over his shoulder. Alianna's back was towards him so he could not see her face. It took him a minute to see her frame shaking lightly.

_She is crying!_

Surprised, he sat up and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Alianna?"

He saw her hand move towards her face and a moment later she turned. Even though she had wiped the tears on her cheeks, her eyes were still wet and slightly red.

"You're crying," he stated.

She shook her head lightly.

"Why?"

Alianna pushed herself into a sitting position. "B-Because you d-don't even want to talk to m-me."

He blinked in surprise.

"P-Please don't be angry. I-I swear I didn't mix up your stuff on purpose," she said, her eyes pleading. "I did tell them not to touch your things, but –"

"Alianna," Chad said. "Stop crying."

She obeyed him, taking a minute to calm down. And when she spoke next, her voice was much steadier. "I did not want to cause you so much trouble."

"I know," he said calmly, "You wrote that."

"Then why didn't you talk to me?"

"… I don't know," he sighed, running his hand through his hair. "I was tired and had no wish of speaking to you. I just wanted to sleep."

"Then you should sleep, milord," she said softly.

"So should you," he said.

She didn't say anything but simply rested her back against the headboard, her eyes fixed on nothing in particular. She seemed disturbed.

Maybe he had been a bit too hard on her...

Chad took a deep breath. "Alianna?"

"Yes?"

"Forgive me."

Blue eyes met green ones. "For what, milord?"

"I shouldn't have shouted at you today," He said, "It was totally wrong of me."

"Please," she said, "It is I who should be sorry."

"... Let's call it even then."

She smiled slightly. "Let's," she agreed.

"I gave you quite a fright with my anger today, didn't I?"

Alianna nodded. "I was just… startled for I had never heard you talk so loudly and angrily."

"I hate my anger," he told her. "And I cannot control it, even when I want to. This was something that was there in Alfred and from what I've heard, in Lord Bryce too. Sometimes…"

"Sometimes what, milord?"

"Sometimes I worry that my anger will make me a monster too, just like they were. I hate them both, I refuse to accept them as my family," Chad said. "But the same blood runs in my veins and I cannot change that. What if my anger consumes me and turns me into them?"

"That won't happen," she said, reaching out for his hand. "I'm sure of it."

"How can you be so sure?"

"You may share the same blood with them, Lord Chad, but you are ten times the man they were. Your strength, your courage and the goodness in your heart will never let you become like them."

He squeezed her hand slightly, a small smile gracing his face. "Sometimes I get the feeling that you think too highly of me."

She smiled. "You must be tired," she said, "Go to sleep."

Chad nodded. "You won't cry over something so silly now, will you?"

"I'll try not to."

"Good night, Alianna," he murmured, raising her hand and bringing it to his lips. Placing a gentle kiss on it, he let it go.

"Good night, milord."

**[][][][][][][][]**

Harry jolted awake, arm reaching out underneath his bed, searching for his sword. His eyes scanned his dark bedroom, searching for what had woken him up.

He automatically relaxed when he saw that it was only Hadiya, rubbing sleepiness from her eyes.

"What is it?" he asked her groggily.

"I had a bad dream," she whimpered sadly.

"Oh?" Harry sat up more and opened his arms, beckoning her to join him on the bed. "What was it about?" he asked as she curled up in the nook of his arm.

"It was about..." she trailed off.

"About?" Harry asked gently, encouraging her to continue.

"About us," she told him, "We were playing. I was running and your were trying to catch me."

"That doesn't sound like a bad dream."

"It wasn't... at first," she said slowly. "Then I heard mum calling us, she wanted us to eat first."

Harry stiffened. "M-Mum?" he stammered.

She nodded, looking up at him with innocent eyes. "I knew it was mum," she said. "And she was feeding us this delicious soup..."

Harry smiled, though his heart was filled with anything but happiness.

He smiled as he tried to imagine what his little sister had seen.

He tried to imagine what could have been.

"... And then everything went dark and scary. Mum screamed in fear and then she was gone - just like that," Hadiya went on, fear seeping into her voice as she hugged him tightly. "I was so scared and I wanted mum. And you were crying as you looked around for her. But she was gone. And then I woke up."

Harry was silent for a moment. "It was just a dream, Hads," he said softly. "You're alright. We're both alright."

"And mum?" she asked. "What about her?"

He didn't answer. Because he didn't have anything to say.

"Harry?" Hadiya said after a long while.

"Yes?" he asked.

"Where is mum?"

He blinked, looking down at her.

"I've never met her." she spoke slowly. "Where is she?"

He gulped. "Go to sleep, Hads," he murmured, kissing her brow. "I have to go to the palace early tomorrow."

"Because you're going to Daelhr with Queen Lucy," she stated.

"Yes."

"And I'll be alone, again," she looked away sadly.

"Don't be sad," he told her. "You'll see me real soon, I promise. Now sleep."

She nodded, resting her head on his chest.

All was silent for some minutes.

But Harry couldn't sleep. Not anymore.

He glanced down at his little sister, who had closed her eyes. He kissed her cheek, her naive question ringing in his head again and again.

"_Where is mum?"_

He couldn't reply. He couldn't.

And then, for some reason, he found his mind wandering back to the memories he had shut down deep within himself.

_Harry was seven. He had been playing in his room when he heard his parents shouting downstairs._

_He didn't need to go down there to see that it was his parents shouting. That had become an almost everyday routine for them now. And he was used to it._

_Normally, he would have just ignored them but as soon as he started hearing his father's words slur together, Harry knew his dad was really drunk._

_Harry knew from experience how bad his dad could get when drunk. _

_In fact, he still had a bruise where he had been thrown to the floor the last time his father was drunk, only three days before. Harry's mother had been at the market, leaving Harry home alone when his father had come stumbling home after being out drinking with his friends from work._

_Concerned about his mother's safety, Harry quietly slipped out of his room and snuck out onto the landing, crawling on his stomach to peep through the railing at his parents below. _

_His dad was flailing his arms like a madman as his mother tried to quiet him down._

"_Charles...please calm down..." she shushed him, placing a hand on his arm in an attempt to sedate him in his alcohol-induced rage._

_Almost without Harry seeing it, his father spun around and slapped his mother so hard that she fell to the ground._

"_Mom!" Harry cried, running down the stairs, throwing himself over his mother's unconscious body, shielding her from any more harm. _

_He saw his father freeze in shock, before stumbling into the adjacent room - his study - to "do some work."_

Harry sighed, glancing down at his sister who stirred and mumbled something in her sleep.

He smiled slightly at her before his eyes moved away to nothing in particular, and his mind wandered off into his past again.

That night was the last time he had seen his father.

When his mother finally woke up later that evening, she had immediately helped Harry pack up his belongings. He had asked her again and again why she was doing so, but she refused to answer.

And then, late at night, she led him out of the house where a small carriage was waiting.

"_Mom," he had said, looking up at her. "What is going on?"_

"_Harry, honey," she had said, kneeling so that she was level with him, "You have to go."_

"_What?"_

"_You will live with my uncle from now on." she said, tears forming in her eyes. "You'll be very happy there, I'm sure."_

_He took her hand. "Are you coming with me?"_

_She shook her head. "No, sweetie."_

_His eyes widened. "But I don't want to go without you."_

_You must," she said, cupping his cheek. "I love you, Harry."_

_"But... But who'll protect you if I'm not here?"_

"_I still have a few tricks up my sleeve darling. You don't have to worry about me," she told him, kissing him on the forehead before pulling him into a tight hug._

"_I love you, mom," Harry had said, his eyes getting wet as he hugged her back._

"_And I love you too, sweetheart. But you must go now," she said, "Hurry."_

_Obediently, Harry got into the carriage. "When will I see you, mother?"_

_She didn't say anything, but simply stared at him with sad eyes._

_The door to the carriage closed._

"_Mom?" he called, hoping she would give him an answer._

_She didn't._

_The carriage began to move._

_He was moving... away from her._

"_Mommy!" _

_And she just stared at him, with tears running down her cheeks and her hand raised as she waved him goodbye._

Taking a deep breath, Harry looked down at Hadiya's sleeping form. Now positive that moving her wouldn't wake her up, Harry laid her down on the other half of his bed. Settling down beside her, he couldn't help but smile at her peaceful expression. A few light brown curls hid her face, and her thumb was tucked comfortingly in her mouth. Ignoring the thumb, Hadiya bore a perfect resemblence to their mother.

The only thing that bothered Harry were her bright green eyes. Neither his mother or father, nor any other relative that Harry had met, had green eyes like his little sister's.

Pondering that thought, Harry let sleep overcome him.

**[][][][][][][][]**

"My Lord Chad," Alianna said, walking faster to catch up with her husband. It was a cloudy afternoon and the two were walking towards the gardens. "My maid told me that you wished to see me."

"Yes," he replied, "I'd like you to have lunch with me today."

She faltered. "Is it some occasion, milord?"

"No, I merely wanted to enjoy your company," he said, "It is a beautiful day – thankfully not too hot, and I thought that you'd enjoy eating outside in the gardens with me."

She smiled. "I'd love to."

"Philip might join us."

"He will?"

Chad shrugged. "He mentioned something about dropping by. I'm not sure if he will come or not…" he trailed off for a short moment. "We've all been very busy as of late."

"It is because of the strikes, right?" she asked.

"… Yes," Chad admitted after a moment's hesitation.

"Are they going that bad?"

"I'll be able to handle them," he replied. "You shouldn't worry."

She looked at him intently. "You're lying."

"I'm not."

"Then you're trying to."

Chad smiled grimly. "It is quite alarming how easily you can read me at times."

"Don't worry, milord, you're a mystery to me most of the times."

He laughed. "That makes me feel so much better."

The couple came to a stop before a table laden with food. The Lord of Daelhr then walked over to the table and pulled a chair for his wife. Once she was seated, he took a seat across from her.

Alianna looked around her. The table was nicely set with her most favorite dishes – and the aromas made her mouth water. The lush green grass of this part of the gardens was freshly cut and the roses and geraniums in the flower beds bloomed.

"I'm assuming, by the smile that has lightened your face, that you like the arrangements."

She blinked and looked at Chad to find him looking at her with great interest.

"I did," She said politely. "Thank you."

"I've also heard that these," he pointed towards the food, "happen to be your favorite dishes."

She nodded.

"Well then, I don't see why we must wait."

"Indeed," she smiled and got up with the intention of serving the food to him before she ate.

"I think I can help myself," he told her.

She blinked. "It's frightening how you can read _me_ at times."

He grinned at her as he helped himself to some mashed potatoes. "Well, you're not the only talented one in this relationship."

Chad and Alianna ate in silence for a few minutes, enjoying the friendly silence and the calm weather that surrounded them.

"Milord," Alianna spoke up. "You seem to have avoided my question."

"What question?" he asked, sipping his drink.

"The one about the strikes."

He faltered. "I've been working day and night. These are the only two hours I have to myself and you want me to discuss work with you."

"Forgive me," she said, her voice soft as always, "I just thought that as the Lady of Daelhr, I have a right to know."

"… Yes, you do," he said thoughtfully, his green eyes fixed on her.

Alianna fidgeted uncomfortably. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"I'm trying to figure you out."

"I beg your pardon?"

He sighed. "The strikes have gotten worse. The labor has grown more angry and more violent. I'm trying all I can to calm them down but Talan has poisoned their minds."

"If it is becoming such an issue," Alianna said, "Then why don't you agree to their terms?"

"I cannot." He replied simply. "Not only what they demand is unfair but it will burden the treasury. If any hazard befalls the city, I want to have enough funds to make sure that my people are safe and healthy."

"I didn't know Daelhr was in such a tight position financially."

Chad shrugged. "The diseases and the destruction that the rains brought cost me a lot. Not to mention that there are large costs of running the city itself. There are people to be paid, food to be bought and trade to be conducted," he said. "We're not in a tight position but we will be if I hand out all the money to the labor."

Alianna was silent for a few moments, absorbing this information. She could not help but sympathize with him. Ruling a city was not easy.

"I'm sorry," he said, "My intention was not to burden you with my problems."

"You didn't."

"Then why are you looking as if you've swallowed my cooking?"

She looked at him strangely, her brows furrowed. _What?_

"I'm a terrible cook," he explained with a sheepish smile. "Ask Kayla."

She chuckled. "I'm not worried; I was… _thinking_."

"About what?"

"You said that Talan would not listen to reason."

Chad nodded.

"If he won't, then you shouldn't waste your time talking to him," Alianna said.

"He is their leader."

"Talan is one man – he doesn't make up the entire labor force." She argued. "He just represents them."

"So?"

"_So_ you should speak to the others and try to negotiate with them."

"I plan to."

She blinked. "You do?"

"Demetrius and Philip are both against this idea. They don't think that it will help."

Alianna remained quiet.

If her father and brother were against this idea then they wouldn't want Chad to talk to others. And Alianna just suggested the Lord to do the opposite of what her father wanted.

_Oh no!_

"Alianna?"

"I'm sorry," she said, snapping back to her surroundings. "What did you say?"

"I said that the only reason I haven't spoken to the other people in the labor force is because your brother and father opposed me," he told her, "And I value their opinion too much to ignore it. They are loyal friends."

She pressed her lips in a firm line.

"However, I think that I should speak to the labor force," he went on. "Speaking with Talan is not taking me anywhere."

"But father and Philip don't think that it is a wise idea, just as you said," she said, almost frightened to imagine what Philip's reaction would be if he found out that Alianna had spoiled what they wanted.

"Yes, but they will have to agree with me." Chad said, looking at her. "You think that this would be a good idea, right?"

She opened her mouth and closed it, feeling torn.

He raised an eyebrow.

"… Yes," she finally said.

"Alianna," Chad said, "Your father is a wise man. I'm sure he will agree if I talk to him. Philip – I'm not so sure about, but he will listen to me."

Alianna remained quiet, not knowing how to react.

"It's decided then, I'll go and see the labor force first thing in the morning tomorrow," Chad said, reaching out and placing his hand atop hers. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"When I presented this idea in the meeting, everyone went against me," he told her, "And now that you suggested it, I guess I found the support I needed."

"You're the Lord of Daelhr," she said, "You do not need the support of anyone."

"I cannot go against my council."

"The council is here to guide you, but you make the decisions."

"What if I do something wrong?"

"You won't." She hesitated, knowing that these are not the things her father and brother would want her to say to her husband. "Your compassion and strength has brought Daelhr prosperity and you must not doubt yourself. You love your people and you would never do anything that is not right for them."

He blinked.

"You need to have more faith in yourself, milord."

He smiled. "I guess I need to be reminded that from time to time."

Alianna returned the smile as she placed her other hand over his. "Then I will remind you." She promised.

"I'm lucky to have you by my side, Alianna."

She didn't say anything though her heart skipped a beat when he said that.

"Now," Chad said, pulling back his hand, "It seems that Philip was not able to make it for the meal. Pity – I think you would have liked to see your brother after so many days."

She nodded slowly.

Chad tilted his head. "Are you two close?" he asked. "You never told me."

"I… H-He… We are close."

He raised an eyebrow. "Your words were filled with uncertainty."

"We are close," she insisted. "It's just that Philip and I have our disagreements in certain matters."

"Disagreements?" he asked. "I do not take you for someone who would indulge in an argument."

"I do not," she said. "Philip often says that fighting with a statue is better than fighting with me because I never talk."

He laughed. "That sounds like something Philip would say."

Alianna pouted as she stood up and took a few steps away from the table. "I do talk. And I did reply to him too when we were fighting, many times."

"Really?"

She nodded. "I just didn't reply all the time."

"Any why is that?" Chad asked, standing up as well.

"I find that arguing is a waste of time and energy."

"That means that I should be happy that I have a wife who will not argue with me."

A smile made a way to her lips.

"So, tell me, Alianna," Chad said thoughtfully as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Who won these arguments?"

She shrugged. "No one did. I usually went to my chambers and Philip vented out his anger in sparring." She paused. "Father always told him to be nice to me and not fight with me."

"Did Philip listen to your father then?"

Alianna made a face. "No. He always made me angry."

Chad blinked. "I didn't know you could be angry," his voice was filled with both amusement and interest. "I cannot imagine you being angry – ever. How did he make you angry?"

"By making me laugh."

"I'm sorry?" he asked, confused.

"He used to tickle me and I hated it." Alianna mumbled. "I'm very ticklish."

His eyes narrowed. "Is that so?" a sly smile crept on his face as he took a step forward.

"Milord?"

"I'd love to see how you look when you're angry, Alianna," he said, taking another step forward. His emerald eyes twinkled like that of a child.

Realization dawned on Alianna and she took a step backwards. "No."

"_Yes_."

"Milord, _no_."

He just moved forward.

"Please," she said, quickly taking a few steps back. But in her hurry, she stumbled over her dress.

Alianna shut her eyes tightly, bracing herself for the fall.

Instead strong arms wrapped around her waist, holding her in a firm grip.

Startled, she opened her eyes only to find herself drowning in a bright green pool. It took her a moment to realize that Chad had caught her, and another to realize that he was slowly lowering her so that she lay on the grass.

"Milord?" she breathed, looking up at him.

"Alianna," he said, his hands slowly moving up and down her sides.

Her heart started beating wildly in her chest as she blinked her eyes rapidly, wondering why she was feeling this way.

His lips slowly formed a cocky smile. "You've made it so much easier for me."

She frowned wondering what he meant by that, but before she could ponder over it, his fingers dug into her sides as he started to tickle her.

Alianna's eyes widened as she squealed with laughter. "Stop!" she managed to say. "Please!"

Chad didn't stop.

Her hands came to rest on his chest and she pushed him away. Getting on her feet as quickly as she could, she ran away.

She was not quick enough, though.

A couple of seconds later, she felt him wrap an arm around her waist and he lifted her up easily. His other hand returned to her stomach, torturing her with his fingers.

Tears sprang into her eyes as she laughed, irritated inside at how she had been the one to blab about the fact that she was ticklish and how she was the reason why he was doing this. She desperately tried to wriggle away from him, but all her attempts failed.

His laughter reached her ears and it was different than the times he had laughed before. She could tell that this time his laughter came truly from his heart... and it was a beautiful sound.

_Laughter suits him,_ she thought.

That thought didn't last long, however, because she was soon completely out of breath. "Milord," she gasped, "Don't!"

A moment later, Chad stopped his attack on her and set her on the ground, sitting down next to her.

"You didn't get angry," he said, trying to look disappointed.

Alianna didn't say anything but simply gulped in air. "T-That was… cruel."

"Not cruel enough, it would seem."

She shook her head as she looked down at the grass, a smile spreading on her face.

The two sat silently for a minute or two when Alianna felt his fingers grasp a lock of hair that fell on her face.

Startled, she looked up and froze.

His body was angled towards her as he leaned forward; his face was inches from hers. His deep green eyes were on her. Slowly, he pushed the lock of hair behind her ear.

"You're beautiful," Chad murmured.

She didn't say anything, but she knew that a blush was forming in her cheeks. She could feel it.

"Did you enjoy the lunch?"

She nodded. "I-I'm glad you invited me."

"I haven't really talked to you over the last week," he said. "I'm a terrible husband, aren't I?"

"No," she whispered. "You are an amazing husband."

He smiled. "I'm glad you think so," he murmured as the tips of his fingers lightly brushed over her cheek.

Someone coughed.

As quick as lighting, Chad and Alianna moved away from each other and looked at the intruder. It was an old man who worked in the mansion.

Alianna blushed, her gaze falling to the floor with embarrassment.

"What is it, Bard?" she heard Chad say and she was impressed to hear that he sounded calm, his voice even and emotionless.

Not that he was as unsteady as her while the two of them talked. It was she who felt weird, with her insides shaking as if she had took part in a race.

"This letter arrived for you, milord," Bard replied.

Chad stood up and held out a hand. "Thank you."

Bard bowed and left.

The Lord of Daelhr opened the envelope and pulled out the letter, reading it, his brows furrowing as he read and his expression becoming hard to read.

"Who is it from, milord? Alianna asked tentatively once he had finished reading.

Chad took a deep breath. "Queen Lucy."

Alianna blinked in surprise as she pushed herself to her feet. "Is everything alright, milord?"

"She is coming to Daelhr."

"… Why?"

"Queen Lucy is travelling to another city to visit a few of her friends. Since her journey is long, she would like to stay here at Daelhr and rest for a few days."

Alianna didn't say anything for a few moments. "… It would be nice to have her here," she spoke softly.

Chad nodded absently, his face void of any emotion. "I want you to write an answer to her."

"Me?"

"You," he said simply. "Now, I have work to attend to. Have a good day."

And without waiting for an answer, the Lord of Daelhr walked away.

**[][][][][][][][]**

"Milady," Harry inclined his head in respect as he greeted the Valiant Queen the next morning. "All the preparations have been made."

"Good," Lucy replied absently, staring out at the gardens from her balcony. "We leave in an hour."

"Yes," Harry paused. "Is everything alright?"

"Of course. Why do you ask?"

He shrugged. "You seem distracted."

She turned to face him and smiled. "Nothing ever escapes your eyes, does it Harry?"

"I've been trained to keep an eye out for important things."

"I just…" she sighed. "I'm going to Daelhr and this time things will be entirely different between Chad and me."

He looked at her sympathetically.

She chuckled darkly. "You don't have to pity me."

"I'm not," Harry told her, "You're strong and you have more important matters to see rather than spend time with Lord Chad."

Lucy nodded. "You're right about that. We only have a few days at Daelhr and we have to find out proof against Demetrius."

"What if we don't find anything in that time?"

"We _have_ to," she said, "Otherwise we'll have to come up with an excuse to stay there for a longer time and I cannot think of anything. The only option we will be left with is to leave and I don't want to do that without any evidence."

Harry nodded. "Did you inform Lord Chad that we will be coming?"

"I did," Lucy said. "And I got a reply early this morning."

"What did he say?"

"He didn't say anything. _She _did." Lucy's tone was filled with suppressed anger and hurt.

"She?" Harry asked, confused.

Lucy picked up a paper that lay on the table along with a book she had been reading and handed it to him.

Harry looked at the slanted writing and began reading.

_Queen Lucy,_

_I hope you are well. _

_Lord Chad received your letter but he was not able to reply himself because he is a bit busy with his duties these days. However, I wanted to tell you, on his behalf and mine, that it would be an honor to have you stay with us. I shall have all the arrangements made for your arrival and for those who will accompany you._

_Have a safe journey. I hope to see you soon._

_Yours truly,  
>Alianna.<em>

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Alianna?"

Lucy nodded grimly. "It seems that Chad still doesn't want to talk to me, even if it is in writing."

"I'm sorry," Harry hesitated for a second, wondering if he should continue. He did continue, "But you have to move on. He is a married man."

"I don't want to talk about it."

"You never do."

"Then you should know better than to touch this topic," she said slowly. "Let's go to the others."

"... As you wish."

About twenty minutes later, the two were walking out into the courtyard where the monarchs were standing there.

"What took you so long?" Caspian asked.

"I wanted to say goodbye to the children," the Valiant Queen replied. "They were all playing peacefully."

"Good."

"Why do you have to go?" Adeline asked her.

"There is an important matter I must see to," Lucy said, glancing at the High King.

"Indeed," Peter agreed. "Let her go."

Edmund shook his head. "I'm not very happy with the idea of you staying with that Chad and –"

"I'll be fine," Lucy smiled. "I'm going there because of my work and not to spend time with anyone. And in any case, Harry will be there with me, right?"

"Of course, milady," Harry replied.

"In that case, have a safe journey and a good stay there," Isabel smiled, hugging her.

"I'm almost tempted to come with you," Susan said to her sister, "I wouldn't mind a few nights of peaceful, _ghost-les_s sleep in the comfortable bedrooms of Ardross Mansion."

Lucy rolled her eyes. "Where is your bravery, Su?"

"It went away ever since that obnoxious ghost took away my sleep!" the Gentle Queen said not so gently. "It has been ten days now!"

"Forgive me," Harry interrupted, "But what ghost, my Queen?"

"Susan thinks that a ghost is haunting her chambers." Lucy explained to him.

Harry frowned. "Does this ghost _giggles _by any chance?"

Lucy blinked in surprise.

Susan's eyes went wide. "I-It haunts you too?"

"No."

"Then how do you know about it?" Caspian asked curiously.

Harry seemed confused. "I heard Kings Peter and Edmund talking about it in the stables yesterday. They were saying something about how silly everyone is and how much fun it…" Harry trailed off when he saw the two kings shake their heads, motioning him to shut up.

But the damage was done.

Caspian stared open-mouthed at the two kings, as did everyone else – except Susan.

She glared at them, her face seeming so dangerous that Harry actually had to resist taking a step back in fear.

"You!" she growled, "_You_ two are behind this."

"N-Not me!" Peter quickly said. "It was Edmund's idea and he is the ghost. I just happen to know about it."

"Thanks a lot, mate," Edmund said sarcastically before smiling at Susan. "Oh, Su! It was just a joke. Let's just laugh over it."

"I haven't had a good night's sleep in last ten days because of you two and you want me to _laugh over it_?"

"Umm… listen… Su –"

Susan looked around as if searching for something. "Give me something to hit them with!" she ordered.

"Susan," Peter said, trying to sound authoritative and failing at it terribly, "That is inappropriate."

"Propriety be _damned_, Peter Pevensie," Susan said, taking off her heels and hurling them towards her brothers. "You just watch what I'll do to the two of you."

"Pete?" Edmund said quickly.

"Yeah?"

"Should we run?"

Peter glanced at Susan and then at Lucy. "Goodbye, Luce. I love you," His blue eyes moved back to the extremely angry Gentle Queen, "Ed, _run_!"

And they did.

With Susan right behind them.

"I think I'll lend my wife a hand," an irritated looking Caspian growled and went after her.

Harry bit his lip to keep himself from laughing out loud.

It was quite a sight really. The Magnificent High King and the Just King being followed by the Gentle Queen and King Caspian all over the gardens of the palace... shouts of threats and feeble apologies in the air...!

"Our husbands seem to be in trouble," Adeline said to Isabel casually. "Should we help them?"

"As good wives, we should but they deserve it," Isabel replied. "Let Susan and Caspian have their fun for a while before we intervene."

"How about some coffee and muffins in the meantime?" Adeline asked.

Isabel smiled sweetly. "Sounds _perfect_."

Harry glanced at Lucy who was laughing and in spite of himself, he smiled.

It had been so long since he had seen the Valiant Queen smile truly from her heart.

Wiping away the tears that had formed in her eyes, Lucy turned to her sisters-in-law. "I would love to see the results of Susan's torture on my brothers but I really should be leaving."

"Of course," Isabel nodded. "Take care."

"And be happy too," Adeline said. "We all like to see our Lucy smiling like this, always."

Lucy grinned. "I love you all," she told them. "And I'll see you all soon. Goodbye."

With that, the Valiant Queen walked towards the carriage.

Harry was about to follow her when –

"Harry?"

He turned.

Isabel turned to Adeline. "Why don't you have those muffins prepared?"

Adeline glanced at Harry and then Isabel, seeming confused. "Of course."

Once she was gone, Isabel walked over to stand before him. "Since Peter is busy at the moment, I would like to say a few things to you," she said softly. "Take care of Lucy."

"I will, my queen," he replied. "You need not to worry about her."

"I won't, because I know that you'll never let any harm come to her," Isabel said. "But you're her friend and you know all the hurt she has been through because of what happened between her and Chad. I want you to make sure that she doesn't hurt herself anymore."

"Of course, my queen."

She smiled. "You're a good person, Harry. Have a safe journey."

**[][][][][][][][]**

Chad was fuming.

He had spent the entire morning and half of the afternoon convincing the labor to stop these strikes. And they did listen to him, they did understand – but at the last minute, Talan decided to show up.

That snake-tongued man quickly gave an emotional speech and ruined everything.

_Not completely though, _a voice in Chad's mind told him.

The labor was currently divided. Half the men agreed with Chad and had decided to stop the protests. The other half, led by Talan, had created uproar.

Things got a bit too rough and Philip had suggested that Chad leave. Chad hadn't wanted to but his two guards had all but dragged him back towards their horses. And now they were on their way back to Ardross.

He had a meeting with his council, and there was much to discuss about so many different matters. The labor issue was not the only thing on his mind – he had so many other things to see to as well.

And then he will have to welcome Queen Lucy as well. He wasn't sure how he felt about having her stay in his mansion.

Over the last two months, he had spent some time with Alianna and he had come to enjoy her company. But his heart was still filled with pain – pain of not being with Lucy. He loved Lucy and it was simple as that. And Lucy had betrayed him.

He was sure that Harry would be accompanying Lucy, and he wasn't looking forward to seeing both of them together.

The Lord of Daelhr sighed.

Like it or not, she was his queen and it was his duty to welcome her and have her stay at his mansion.

_That is what it is – my duty_, he told himself.

But it was not just a duty. It was heartache – again. Seeing her would not be easy. And seeing that Harry and keeping his anger in check will be quite a test... And then there was –

Chad snapped out of his thoughts when he saw a something flash by from the corner of his eyes. He barely had time to turn when he saw two arrows hitting one of his guards squarely in the chest. The man was dead before he hit the ground.

"We're under attack!" Eugene, his other guard shouted.

Chad turned back to the woods, from where the arrows had come, pulling out his sword.

"We have to get out of here. _Now_!" Eugene said.

Before Chad could even urge his horse to run, another arrow whistled through the air and hit the animal. It reared, and the Lord of Daelhr fell to the ground.

Pushing himself to his feet quickly, Chad turned back, his grip on his sword tight.

Six men, cloaked, walked out from behind the trees. One look at them told Chad that they were assassins - masters of killing.

"Milord," Eugene, who had got off his horse and rushed to stand before Chad, said in a hurry, "You need to get out of here."

"No time for that," Chad said and ducked as one of the assassin slashed his sword towards him.

Step. Duck. Slash. Step. Slash. Parry.

Soon a rhythm was set and Chad danced, his sword a blur as he fought with three men at once. From the corner of his eyes, he saw Eugene kill one of the assassins.

Attack. Defend. Attack. Defend. Attack.

The attackers managed to nick Chad a few times, drawing blood from a wound or two – but it was nothing serious.

His green eyes were fixed on his opponents, and soon he saw an opening. Taking a step forward, Chad hacked his sword upwards, straight into the man's chest. But before Chad could pull out his weapon, one of the assassins kicked him. The Lord of Daelhr stumbled and fell to the ground, his sword no longer in his hands.

Holding the sword in both of his hands, the assassin brought his blade down. Chad rolled away just in time, avoiding the fatal blow. Picking up a rock from the ground, hurled it towards the man.

It hit the attacker and Chad took this opportunity to kick the blade out of his hands.

Just as he was about to push himself on his feet, the attacker – much to his surprise – kicked him in the chest, _hard - very hard._

Chad heard a sickening crack. And his vision flashed red.

A moment later a fist collided with his face.

Without wasting a second, Chad held the hand and pulled his opponent to the ground. Pushing himself to his knees, Chad punched the assassin with all his might before taking hold of his throat.

"Who sent you to kill me?" The Lord of Daelhr demanded.

Before the man could say anything, an arm wrapped around Chad's throat and dragged him away from the man.

Half-expecting such a move, Chad held the man's arm and pulled, so that the assassin was before him. Pulling his right fist back, Chad prepared to land a punch when someone took hold of his arm and twisted it.

Chad let out a cry of pain and pulled himself away in an attempt to stop the pai_n. He stumbled over a dead body and fell, landing on his right side heavily._

_I'm outnumbered_, he thought.

A boot met his chest again, hard, knocking the breath out of him.

Something was wrong. Seriously wrong. For in that one instant, it became impossible for Chad to breathe.

Blinded by pain and gasping for air, he turned away, pushing himself to his feet. It took him a moment to realize that Eugene's dead body lay a few feet from him.

Wearily, Chad glanced back at the four remaining assassins, who now advanced towards him, their weapons ready. And he coughed, spitting out blood.

His vision swam.

There was no way he would be able to fend off these attackers.

Not when he couldn't breathe.

He had to do something.

His eyes moved all over the place, coming to rest on his sword. It was still buried in the chest of the man he had killed.

Dashing forward as quickly as he could, his fingers wrapped around the hilt and Chad pulled it out. Without waiting for a second, he crossed blades with the closest assassin.

Slash. Parry. Slash. Parry. Slash.

Chad hit him with a series of complex blows and once he was close enough, Chad kicked the man's chest. The man fell over his companions, blocking them for a second or two.

Seizing this opportunity, Chad ran into the woods, through the maze of trees, branches and roots.

Running was difficult. It took up a lot of his energy.

His right arm was almost useless.

And he couldn't breathe.

His vision was fading slowly.

The pain increased.

And the men were following him. He could hear them.

Chad pushed past a few branches and entered a small clearing.

He stopped.

This was a well-hidden clearing. And he knew of this place.

For this was the very clearing where he had hid Lucy all those years ago while he fetched a horse for her. This was the very clearing where she had assured him that they would have a happy ending. This was the very clearing where they had kissed for the first time.

Bittersweet memories flashing before him, Chad staggered forward. And soon pain took away all his thoughts and memories.

He gasped as he fell to the ground, hoping that some oxygen would reach his lungs – but it didn't.

He could hear the assassins searching for him.

Mustering up his remaining energy, Chad crawled close to a tree - the very tree Lucy had sat against once as she waited for him - but he now he didnt have the energy to sit up against its trunk.

No energy at all.

_Help me, Aslan... _he prayed as he rolled over to his back.

He saw the trees above him for a second. But then his vision swam.

His senses dulled.

And the Lord of Daelhr knew no more.

* * *

><p><strong>So, there you go... end of yet another chapter.<strong>

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	15. Chapter 15

**Hello everybody! We're sorry for leaving you at a cliffy for so long, but here it is - the new chapter! We hope you like it, do review and tell us!**

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**Desires and Destiny**

**Chapter 15**

**.**

"Did your journey go well?" Kayla asked Lucy as she held out a cup of tea.

"It did," Lucy replied, nodding in thanks as she took it. "How have you been?"

"Well."

It was late evening and the Valiant Queen had just reached Daelhr and been greeted by the Lady of Daelhr and Kayla.

Alianna – quiet as always, had simply greeted her in her polite voice.

Kayla – though she still was a bit stiff towards Lucy, talked more and Lucy could tell that Kayla was not as angry at her as she was before.

The three women along with Harry were currently seated in the living room, drinking tea. Lucy had insisted that Harry should also come in and join them for he was her friend. Thankfully, no one objected... though she guessed that Harry had wanted to!

"And you Alianna," Lucy said, turning to look at Alianna, "How have you been?"

Lucy had tried to force her voice to remain normal, but a small amount of dislike still leaked out and she couldn't do anything about it.

"I'm fine, my queen." The Lady of Daelhr replied, "And life here has been lovely."

Lucy nodded, gritting her teeth.

Of course her life was _lovely_. She was married to Chad – who was an amazing person to be with. And instead of being thankful for the blessing she had received in the form of her husband, Alianna was actually stabbing him in the back.

Alianna and her father and her brother wanted nothing but to harm Chad. And Lucy wouldn't let them do that.

Lucy would not let _her _hurt him.

"Would you like more tea?" Kayla asked Harry.

Harry politely shook his head.

Lucy noticed that Harry had stiffened when Kayla had addressed him. _What is that all about?_

She glanced at him closely. He seemed normal now.

_Perhaps I had imagined it._

The Valiant Queen shrugged and glanced around for a minute or two – and then her curiosity got the best of her. She cleared her throat. "Where is C-Chad?"

"He had to meet someone in the morning," Alianna answered, "He isn't back yet."

"Which is strange," Kayla said, frowning. "He had called a meeting with his council here in the afternoon. He missed it."

"Where did he go?" Lucy inquired.

"I don't know," Kayla said. "But when he came to say goodbye to me, he did say that he will be back before evening."

"He was planning to meet the labor force and convince them to stop the strikes," Alianna spoke up.

"How do you know?" Kayla asked.

"He told me."

So Chad told Alianna about his daily plans. Did that mean that he trusted her, that he was happy with her, that he had forgotten Lucy?

"Are the strikes causing that much of a trouble, my Lady?" Harry spoke up for the first time that evening.

"They weren't before, but the negotiations Chad tried to hold failed," Kayla explained. "And from what I've heard things got pretty nasty between Chad and Talan – the leader of the labor group. Eventually, Chad refused to give them any funds unless and until they resumed their jobs."

"Did he agree to increase the payments?"

It was Lucy who answered. "No. From what I know of him, Chad wouldn't do that," she paused. "In any case, Chad did discuss this matter with Peter and Peter agreed. Their demands were quite irrational."

"Why didn't the High King offer help?" Harry asked. "Surely, if the kings and queens announced that the payments would not be increased then the people will stop protesting."

"Peter did offer to help," Lucy told them. "But Chad refused. He said that he would like to handle his city by himself."

Kayla shook her head, a small smiled on her face. "That is so typically Chad!"

Lucy couldn't help but smile at that. "It is."

"Well, maybe he is late because the talks actually went somewhere," Kayla guessed. "I mean, if Chad had felt that they would not listen, he would have returned."

"Let us hope so," Lucy said as she placed the cup on the table. "I'd like to rest for a while now, though."

**[][][][][][][][]**

Chad opened his eyes and blinked a few times. The trees overhead came into focus.

He frowned.

_What -_

And then the memory of the attack came back to him.

His eyes wide, he tried to sit but realized that he couldn't move.

The pain in his chest blinded him yet again.

Gasping, he rested back, staring at the sky which was dark.

_How long have I been unconscious?_ He wondered.

A twig snapped somewhere on the other side of the wall of bushes that hid the clearing.

"Find him!" a voice said.

"We've been doing that for hours now," another complained. "What if we lost him?"

"He hasn't reached the mansion yet," the first one replied. "He must still be in the forest!"

Those assassins were still looking for Chad.

And even worse, they were nearby.

Chad glanced at his sword that lay on the ground. He moved his right arm, ignoring the sparks of agony that the movement triggered, and grasped the hilt tightly.

Trying not to make a sound, Chad forced himself to sit.

The world swam again.

And despite his attempts to stay quiet, a coughing fit took him over and he spat out blood. They would find him now.

And sure enough -

"Found him!" a shout came and a moment later, one of the assassins entered the clearing. His companions followed.

Chad glared at them as he pushed himself to his feet, breathing heavily.

He prayed to Aslan for help.

But he knew that help was unlikely. No one knew that he had been attacked. And no one would be able to find him here in this well hidden clearing.

Will he be able to fight these four men?

Probably no.

Did this mean that he would be killed?

Probably yes.

And he decided that if this was his death, then he would die fighting.

With a grim smile on his face, Chad raised his sword and readied himself for the fight as the attackers charged forward.

**[][][][][][][][] **

Harry opened the door of his chambers and blinked in surprise.

"Lucy?" he asked. "What are you doing here?"

"I want to talk to you."

After a moment's hesitation, he stepped aside to let her in. "You said you were tired after the journey. Why aren't you sleeping?"

"I asked a few servants and Chad _still_ hasn't returned," she said, worry in her voice. "And we're going to go and look for him."

"What?"

"I'm sure that Demetrius and Philip have something to do with what is going on in the city," Lucy said.

"How can you be so sure?"

Lucy shook her head. "I cannot explain it – Instincts, perhaps... Harry, I really have a bad feeling about this." She paused. "Please, come with me."

Harry moved in her way. "No." he said quickly. "I'll go and find Chad."

"Chad hates you."

"You're not his most favorite person in the world either, my queen." He shot back.

Lucy sighed. "But –"

"But nothing. I'll go to Chad and you can stay here. In any case, people here will notice if the Valiant Queen is not at the mansion."

Lucy bit her lip and nodded slightly. "You're right." She sighed. "Just take care of yourself and of him."

"I will." He smiled at her before reaching out for his sword and then boots.

Half an hour later, Harry rode his horse on a deserted street, cursing his stupidity. Maybe asking Lucy for some proper directions would have been the wise thing to do, but _NO!_ He had to ride out alone in this city he knew very little about, searching for a man who could be anywhere at the moment.

And now Harry had another problem at his hand: He had reached a fork in the road and didn't know which path to take.

Harry looked at right side. It was deserted.

He looked at left. It was deserted as well.

_Of course it is deserted_, his brain told him. _It's so late at night. Normal people sit in their homes at this time!_

"I'll go right," he decided, praying to Aslan that he found Chad soon.

His horse, however, had its own plans.

It went left.

"Not left," he told the horse. "Right!"

The horse just neighed.

"Fine!" Harry grumbled, wondering why the horse found this side more attractive. And then he shrugged. Its not as if he knew the right way.

They went straight for a few minutes when the horse neighed again, this time uncomfortably.

Harry frowned, looking ahead and he froze.

Bodies.

Dead bodies.

Four of them.

Getting off his horse as quickly as he could, Harry pulled out his sword, his senses alert as he walked over to the bodies. Blood was spilled. Weapons lay on the road. And the faraway sound of swords clashing reached his ears.

Harry looked around, his grip on his sword tightening. The sounds were coming from somewhere within the woods on the side of the road, that much he could tell.

He glanced back at the dead bodies, this time taking in their faces.

And realization dawned on him.

Two of the men, he knew nothing about, but the other two he remembered. He had seen them on Chad's wedding. They were Chad's personal guards.

_Which means that Chad has been attacked!_

Without wasting another second, Harry ran into the woods, following the sounds of the clash.

He had promised Lucy that he would make sure that Chad was safe, and he had every intention of fulfilling this promise.

Trying to be as stealthy as he could, Harry ran deep into the forest, jumping over roots as he moved forward. Soon he faced a wall of bushes and he knew that the sounds came from its other sides.

Pushing the bushes aside, he stepped forward.

It was a small clearing. A man lay dead on the ground. And Chad was fighting three more at the same time. Various scratches covered his face, his expression that of fury and focus as he skillfully moved his blade, trying to win the duel.

But he was injured, that much Harry could tell.

He noticed how Chad's breath was haggard, and how he tried not to move his right arm. His moves were not fast enough and he was continuously stumbling.

Pulling out a dagger from his boot, Harry aimed and threw – a second later it hit one of the attackers in his back. The assassin cried out in pain and then pulled the blade out of his body.

The men paused and turned.

And Harry stepped out into the open. His hazel eyes met Chad's green ones.

Everything was silent for a moment and then one of the attackers charged towards Harry and the other two rounded up on Chad.

Harry raised his arm and the swords met in midair. And that was all that mattered now – the fight.

Slash. Duck. Step. Slash. Step. Parry.

As the attacker raised his arm, Harry slashed his blade, slitting the man's throat. Without waiting for another second, he ran over to where Chad was fighting the remaining two men.

One of them turned towards Harry and so another series of complex blows began. The duel took longer than Harry would have liked, but soon this man too, fell dead.

A scream filled with agony pierced the air.

Harry turned around.

Chad slammed onto the ground, his face contorted with pain. It was dark, but Harry could see blotches of blood on the his trousers.

The assassin raised his sword.

In desperation, Chad thrust his blade into the man's side and then lay back, gasping for breath.

Stepping forward as quickly as he could, Harry swung his sword and in one move decapitated the man.

It was over.

Panting slightly, Harry kneeled before Chad. "Are you alright?" he asked.

Chad didn't reply, instead gulped in huge amounts of air, his body shuddering.

Harry looked at him intently. "Your leg is bleeding," he said and then reached out and tore the tunic off an assassin. "You won't need that anymore," he muttered to the dead body as he wrapped it around Chad's leg and tied it.

"Too tight," Chad hissed.

"It might help stem the flow of blood until I get you back to the manor." Harry explained.

Chad opened his mouth to speak but instead coughed, spitting out blood.

Alarmed, Harry pulled up Chad's tunic and stared at the huge reddish-purple bruise on his torso. "You have some internal injury," he stated, "I need to get you back."

**[][][][][][][][]**

"Hello, Abaccus," Alianna smiled at the horse.

Abaccus turned towards her. "Ah, milady, what brings you to the stables at this late hour?"

"I couldn't sleep."

"And you decided that talking to a certain intelligent horse would be the best solution, right?"

Alianna smiled slowly. "Perhaps."

"Why didn't you talk to your pretty husband?"

Her smiled faltered. "He hasn't returned home yet," she murmured.

"And you're worried about him."

She nodded.

The horse didn't say anything for a short while. Then – "He is happy with you, you know?"

Alianna blinked, clearly not expecting these words.

"He likes you," Abaccus told her. "And he doesn't regret his decision of marrying you."

"Did he say that to you?" she asked, her voice strangely alight with hope.

Abaccus neighed. "Like he would ever admit his feelings!"

Alianna frowned.

"He doesn't open up so easily. He does not admit what is in his heart," the horse told her, "And he rarely shows it either... at least not in the beginning."

The two were silent for a while.

"Anyways," Abaccus began, "When are we going on another ride, milady? You and I both enjoyed the last one."

Alianna smiled. "Soon," she replied.

"I cannot wait for another chance to annoy your husband by telling him how you are way better than him."

"You did that?"

"'Course I did. And I loved to see him grumble this and that," Abaccus told him. "If I'm not wrong, he was slightly jealous that I enjoy talking to you more than him at times."

"I don't believe that," Alianna said. Chad couldn't be jealous of her. He knew that Abaccus just did that to annoy him. "He just is protective about you."

"As he should be. I'm the best horse he has."

Alianna smiled.

It had been slightly startling at first, but with the help of Chad, she had gotten used to Abaccus' proud personality. And now, like her husband, she enjoyed talking to the horse.

She opened her mouth to reply when –

_Slam!_

The doors to the stables slammed open and a black mare came in.

Alianna froze.

Harry was sitting on the horse, holding a man who was clearly very injured. As the horse moved into light, Alianna got a chance to see who the injured man was. She found herself staring into very familiar emerald eyes.

And the shock that had paralyzed her went away in an instant, only to be replaced with a mixture of fear and worry.

"Oh my!" she exclaimed in alarm as she rushed forward. "W-What –?"

"He was attacked," Harry replied, hopping off the horse.

Alianna stared at Chad with wide eyes. Reaching out, she grazed his cheek with her fingers. "Milord?"

He tried to smile, though it looked like more of a grimace. Slowly his eyes fluttered closed.

"He needs a healer," Harry said, as he wrapped Chad's arm around his shoulder and lifted him off the horse.

Alianna nodded, wrapping his other arm around her shoulders.

Together they carried Chad into the mansion and to the bedchambers that belonged to the Lord and Lady of Daelhr. Carefully, they lowered him onto the bed.

Harry untied the cloth drenched in blood from his leg. "Do you have more rags?" he asked. "We should tie them up around his wound."

"In the closet," Alianna pointed, moving towards the door. "I'll tell Kayla to call a healer."

"A-Alia-nna," Chad gasped.

She stopped and stared at him, noticing the pain in his eyes. "I'll be right back, milord."

**[][][][][][][][]**

Lucy and Kayla were sitting silently in the living room.

The Valiant Queen had sent Harry to look out for Chad and so far none of them had returned. Lucy was worried and sleep was not coming, so she had decided to draw. Sketching was the one thing that kept her calm and helped soothe her.

Kayla was worried too, but she didn't say anything. Not that Lucy had expected her to.

"Kayla! Kayla!" Alianna ran into the room, out of breath and looking extremely pale. "Call a healer. Hurry up!"

The two women stood up, alarmed.

"What happened?" Lucy asked.

Tears formed in Alianna's eyes. "Lord Chad is hurt. He is hurt."

"What?" Lucy's world seemed to come to a stop. "How?"

Alianna shook her head. "He is bleeding. Call a healer, _now_."

Kayla nodded and rushed towards the door. "I'll get one."

"What happened?" Lucy asked again.

"I don't know. Harry is with him," Alianna moved towards the door. "But he is in pain."

Lucy followed her up the staircase and into Chad's room.

And she stopped.

Chad lay on the bed, holding his right shoulder tightly, linen strips tied on his leg. His breathing was ragged as he turned his head to look at them. His green eyes met her brown ones and she could tell that he was in pain.

Lucy didn't know how she felt.

It felt good to see him after such a long time.

But it hurt to see him in such a state.

She took a step forward.

"I've called the healers," Alianna said as she walked past Lucy.

Lucy snapped out of her thoughts, her eyes on Alianna, who had took walked to the other side of the bed and was now sitting to Chad's left.

"I have to talk to the guards about something," Harry, who had been standing against a wall, spoke up. "I think it might help later on."

"Harry!" Lucy exclaimed, turning to him. "Are you alright?"

He nodded.

"Thank goodness you are," the Valiant Queen said, glad to see that her friend was not hurt.

Harry smiled slightly. "I'll be right back." And he left the room.

All for silent for a second and then Chad groaned in pain.

"Please be strong, milord," Alianna murmured, "The doctor will be here soon."

"There will be no need for that," Lucy spoke up. "I'll go get my cordial. It's in my room."

"Yes," Alianna quickly agreed, her expression changing from concern to relief. "Please get it."

"N-No," Chad gasped. "I… don't want the c-cordial."

Irritation flooded through Lucy. Was he saying this because he was _oh-so-noble_ or was it because he was angry at her? In any case, seeing how injured he was, he shouldn't even be saying this! "Are you insane?" she couldn't help but ask.

"I d-don't want it."

"Chad, you're bleeding," the Valiant Queen pointed out, "You're hurt and the cordial will heal you in just a minute."

"I will heal the p-proper way," he managed to say.

"But –"

He simply shook his head before dissolving into a coughing fit. Red liquid oozed out of his mouth.

Lucy glared at Chad, disapproval clear on her face, but didn't move to leave the room. "What happened?" she asked after a moment.

"I was coming b-back home… s-six men attacked me. Killed g-guards. I fought b-but…" He took a deep breath. "Had to run b-back. Chest hurt. C-couldn't move, f-fight. I –"

"We get it." Alianna told him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Don't talk, don't waste your energy."

He nodded, closing his eyes.

"I can still give you the cordial." Lucy offered, worry dripping from her voice.

He smiled, never opening his eyes. "No, _Lucy_."

And for some insane reason, Lucy's heart skipped a beat. It had been so long since he had said her name. It had been so long since he had heard his voice without any hatred for her. And it felt so good to hear that again.

A different kind of sadness gripped her heart.

A few minutes later, Kayla entered the room with an old woman right behind her, whom Lucy recognized as the best healer in Daelhr. She had met the woman once, a long time ago.

"Chad!" Kayla rushed to her brother's side. "Are you alright?"

Chad, who looked like he was feeling dizzy now, managed to nod once.

"If you all would please leave, I can attend to him," the healer politely said.

Everyone filed out of the room. As they got out, Harry ran over to them. "What happened?" he asked.

"The healer is with him," Lucy replied.

Harry frowned. "What about your cordial?"

"He won't take it."

"Idiot," Kayla muttered, close to tears. "What happened?"

Lucy repeated what Chad had managed to tell them.

"How did you find him?" Alianna asked Harry.

Lucy and Kayla turned to him, waiting for a response.

Harry cleared his throat and explained everything - the dead guards, the sound of clashes, Harry finding Chad, and the fight.

Kayla frowned. "What were you doing outside at this time?"

Harry glanced at Lucy. "I-I was getting bored," he lied with a shrug. "So I went out for a ride."

Kayla leaned against a wall, her lower lip shaking. "Who would want to attack Chad?" she asked, worried.

The Valiant Queen glanced at Harry. "I don't know."

"I know it wasn't my place to do so but I told the guards to seal the site of attack." Harry told them. "Lord Chad could have it examined later on and we might find any clue about -"

"_Aaaaahh!_" a scream came from inside and they jumped.

"He is in so much pain," Lucy said, her heart hurting to hear him scream. "He should have taken the cordial."

They remained silent.

Lucy glanced at the closed door.

This was not right. Demetrius and Philip were behind this. So was Alianna. She was just acting to be so worried. She was probably happy on the inside to see Chad in such a state.

They were all betraying him.

Cheating on him.

Trying to hurt him.

And she, Lucy, couldn't do anything about it – not until she had a proof.

… But Chad was _attacked_. This was huge.

Peter had to talk to Chad. This was just insane.

"Excuse me, I'll be right back," Lucy said and walked away, even though she wanted to be as close to Chad as possible.

She heard footsteps behind her.

"Where are you going?" Harry whispered as he caught up with her.

"I'm going to write to Peter. This is serious."

"It is," he agreed.

The two walked to Lucy's room where she pulled out a paper and a quill and started writing.

_Dear Peter,_

_Chad was attacked today by six unknown men. He is injured and the healers are attending to him as I write this letter to you. He, being a stubborn man, refused to take the cordial._

_Demetrius and Philip are behind this, I'm sure of it. I know you think that we should find proof first, but you have to talk to Chad. This cannot go on. He was attacked today. Luckily, he was able to fight them off until Harry found him and saved him. If it weren't for Harry, who knows what might have happened? We cannot take chances. Chad has to know that his wife and her family are actually plotting against him. He has a right to know._

_I would have talked to him, but he would never trust me. He would just think that I want him to go against Alianna because I am jealous or something…_

_I just don't know what to do. I'm so confused and worried. I hate seeing Chad like this. Help me, Peter, help me make things right. Please?_

_Lucy._

She folded the paper and pulled out an envelope from the desk.

Harry, who had been staring at her intently, asked, "Are you alright?"

She paused. "Why do you ask?"

"I know how you must have felt seeing him in that state."

She sighed, dropping down on the bed helplessly. "I just want to make things right."

"You will, I'm sure of it," he said, "And I'll always be there to help you."

She smiled up at him. "I know." A pause, "How will I make things right, Harry?"

"I don't know," he replied honestly.

"Neither do I."

"But we will figure out a way," he told her, "And soon."

She didn't answer for a while. "Thank you, Harry," she said as she stood up and hugged him, "For saving Chad and for being there for me. You're a dear friend."

He pulled back and winked at her. "That I am!"

She smiled slightly. "Let's go and find someone to take this letter to Peter."

He nodded.

About half an hour later, the two walked back to Chad's chambers. Lucy frowned when she saw that no one was standing outside.

_Surely, the healers couldn't have attended to him so soon._

"Shall we go in?" Harry asked.

She nodded and they quietly walked into the room.

Chad lay in the middle of the bed, shirtless, bandages wrapped around his upper torso and his arm in a sling. Blankets covered his body from his waist up to his knees, where the healer was cleaning the wound on his leg. A needle and a thread for stitches lay nearby. Sweat covered his face, causing his hair to stick to his forehead and his breathing was shallow.

Alianna was sitting on the bed, next to him, looking at him with concern.

Chad glanced at the healer. "Is it really necessary to stitch the wound?" he managed to croak.

"Yes, milord," the healer replied, "The wound is really deep and you have already lost a lot of blood. It would have been better if you had allowed me to attend to this wound first."

"You're an idiot, Chad," Kayla told him from her position at the couch, where she was mixing a salve and glaring at her brother. "You do know that losing so much blood could prove fatal."

"I-I don't like s-stitches," he mumbled, his voice barely audible.

"You should have thought of that before you got attacked."

"It wasn't his fault that he was attacked," Lucy spoke up, her eyes moving to Chad. "How are you now?"

She saw slight anger fill his eyes followed by a glimpse of warmth... He seemed to be in some sort of internal-emotion war for a few moments, but then his fear won over.

"I don't want stitches." He said, looking like a child who was afraid of being punished for some prank he played.

Harry chuckled. "Have you never got stitches before?"

"No."

"You have," Lucy told him, "On your back, when you were little."

Chad's expression darkened and Lucy realized with a jolt that she had reminded him of the torture Alfred had inflicted on him a long time ago.

_How can I be so stupid? _She asked herself.

"But he had been unconscious when they stitched the wound," Kayla told them, her tone casual as she changed the topic. "So he didn't feel a thing probably."

"I thought you and Alianna were waiting outside," Lucy said to her.

"Lord Chad didn't want to be alone," the healer said, irritation seeping in her voice, "He refused to get cured unless anyone was with him here."

Chad looked away sheepishly.

"I had to try real hard to make him cooperate while I fixed his dislocated shoulder and attended to his broken ribs," the healer went on. "But he wouldn't let me touch him anymore unless I called the others inside."

"Dislocated shoulder?" Lucy asked in horror. "And broken ribs?"

"Three of them," she replied. "No wonder he was coughing up blood and having trouble breathing. Still is, actually."

Chad had been attacked so badly…

What if Harry had been late in reaching him?

What if they had been able to do more damage?

What if –

"I'm going to stitch your wound now, milord," the healer told Chad, "Please try not to move."

"I'm sorry, Chad, I cannot see this," Kayla said quickly, standing up. "I know you'll be fine but I'll come here later."

"You can g-go," Chad said, staring at the healer as she picked up the needle. "Sorry."

"I love you, little brother," Kayla said and rushed out of the room.

"Is she alright?" Harry pointed towards the door. "She looked like she was going to throw up."

"She. Blood. Hate," Chad managed to say through gritted teeth.

"We can check on her," Harry said, pointing towards himself and Lucy.

Chad gulped, eyeing the needle in the healer's hand as she moved it closer to his leg, and nodded.

Harry motioned Lucy to leave but she simply shook her head.

She didn't want to leave Chad alone.

She wanted to be with him.

She had almost lost him and she wouldn't leave him alone now.

Understanding flooded through Harry and with a small, reassuring smile, he left the room. The door shut behind him, and Lucy turned back towards the man she loved.

"You can go too," the Lord of Daelhr was looking up at his wife.

"It's okay," Alianna murmured, her eyes on her husband as she tried to smile reassuringly.

He hissed when he felt the needle pierce his leg. "You d-don't have –"

"It's _okay_," the Lady of Daelhr insisted. "I'll stay with you."

_He didn't even notice that I am still here,_ Lucy realized with a pang of sadness.

Did she matter so little to him now?

Maybe she did.

Did he not care for Lucy at all?

_Stop it. It doesn't matter. _She told herself firmly,_ He is wounded and he getting better is all that matters right now_.

**[][][][][][][][]**

"Lady Kayla?" Harry said, walking into the living room to find her sitting on the couch, hugging herself tightly, her face pale.

"What're you doing here?" she asked.

"Did you throw up yet?" he smirked.

She glared up at him. "If I see you for another minute, I definitely will."

"I'm sorry," he held up his hands as a gesture of surrender and peace, "I've no idea why I thought that that might cheer you up."

"What are you doing here, Harry?" she asked with a sigh, her voice much softer now.

"I wanted to see if you were okay," he replied honestly.

"I'm fine," she told him, motioning him to take a seat. "I just can't see so much blood. And watching the stitches is simply frightening."

He frowned. "The blood didn't affect you when you bandaged me up that day."

"You weren't fatally wounded."

"And you don't care about me enough to let the blood affect you," Harry provided.

She looked at him. "Do you think that I'm that selfish?"

He shrugged. "Have you given me any reason to think otherwise?"

She didn't say anything for a while. Then – "Harry?"

"Hmm?"

"Thank you," she looked at him, her eyes filled with tears, "For saving my brother. He means everything to me and I… _Thank you_."

"I only did what I thought was the right thing."

"And forgive me," she spoke in a low voice, "My behavior towards you has been rude and that is wrong."

He smiled. "It's okay, milady."

She was quiet for a few short moments. "Will he be okay?"

"Lord Chad is a strong man," Harry said. "He will be fine, I'm sure."

"... I cannot believe I'm saying this but I'm glad that you're here, Harry."

He looked at her in surprise. "Can I get that in writing, Lady Kayla?"

She laughed lightly, turning her head away. "This doesn't change anything, though," she spoke up. "You are still the man who was the reason behind my brother's heartbreak."

"This doesn't change anything." He agreed and rested his head back with a sigh.

**[][][][][][][][]**

The Valiant Queen forced her anger at seeing Chad and Alianna together down and silently took a seat on the couch, her heart reaching out to Chad. The wound on his leg stretched from his ankle to just below his knee, tearing all of his calf. It would take a lot of stitches to sew it. He was in for a lot of pain.

"Is it done yet?" he asked the healer through gritted teeth.

"Stop moving your leg, milord!" the healer said, mildly irritated.

"You tell me, Alianna."

"Umm… she has just started it." The Lady of Daelhr replied in a soft voice.

He groaned and then yelped as the healer stitched a sensitive spot, grasping his wife's hand tightly. "Talk to me," he said desperately.

"What?" Alianna asked.

"Talk to me."

"About what?" she seemed puzzled.

"Anything."

"I…," Alianna seemed thoughtful for a moment, her eyes fixed on her husband, "I have decided to place a nice vase full of flowers in our room. It would add freshness, don't you think?"

"Mm-Hmm."

"Should have let me stitch wound first," the healer muttered. "Lost too much blood, all sheets are red."

Chad glanced at the bed sheets. Sure enough, they were all crimson because of his blood.

"I'm sorry," he told Alianna.

"For what?" she asked.

"I… I'm ruining your favorite bed sheets." He hissed.

"It doesn't matter." She said. "I can get new ones."

Lucy looked away.

She couldn't see him talking to her like this. Of course, Alianna was his wife, but she was also the reason why he was in so much pain.

Agony and anger filled her along with the heartbreak.

How could he simply marry someone else?

What about all the promises they had made?

What about the love they had for each other?

"I can't b-breathe." Chad gasped.

"It's because of the ribs," Alianna murmured. "The healer told you that."

Chad nodded once.

Alianna reached out and picked up a rag. Dipping it in a bowl of water, she gently wiped his forehead with it. "You'll be fine."

"Okay." He sounded uncertain.

"I'll have soup made for you tonight," she told him, putting the rag away.

"I'd like that." He paused and then hissed. "Stop it!"

"Sorry," the healer mumbled. "You're moving too much."

"That is because it bloody _hurts_!" Chad snapped.

"Calm down," Alianna ran her fingers through his hair.

"Easy for you to say," He snapped, "She is not using y-your leg as if it's a stupid d-dress being sewed."

"I know it hurts but she is right. You're moving your leg too much."

"Not. Your. Leg." He pouted like a child.

Alianna chuckled and moved to place one hand on his thigh. "Stop moving."

Another wave of jealousy washed over Lucy as she saw Alianna do that.

It took a few moments, but Chad did stop moving.

"Good," Alianna smiled, moving her hand back to run her fingers through his messy hair.

"Should I glance at my leg?" Chad asked.

"No," the Lady of Daelhr replied instantly.

"Why?"

"You're scared of stitches." She pointed out.

"I can h-handle it."

"You can't, especially when it is your own leg. So don't."

"… Fine, but can you please tell this healer to stop making the damn wound hurt so much?" his voice grew louder with agony and anger.

"Okay, she will," Alianna said, using a tone usually used to talk to little children. "Close your eyes and relax."

He didn't close his eyes, but stared at the ceiling, ignoring the feeling of needle going in and out of his flesh. It was not possible to relax. Not at all possible.

They were quiet for a short while.

"The f-first time I saw you," Chad spoke up, his eyes on Alianna, "You were j-just a little girl of thirteen maybe."

His wife looked down at him and a small smile lit her face. "Really?"

"As a part of my job, I had to d-do some chores at the market and you w-were there," Chad told her, intertwining his fingers with hers. "Y-You were standing with… Alfred."

Lucy looked up. She didn't know why, but she felt that she had to listen to this. Forcing her jealousy down once again, she gazed intently at the couple before her.

"I remember," Alianna's smile faded slowly. "Lord Alfred had a habit of spotting me at the market and then coming over to say hi… I never liked him."

"Why not?" Chad asked. "Your father was his t-trusted counselor."

"Oh, father _loved _him. So did my brothers." Alianna trailed off and took a deep breath. "They were all quite impressed with him."

"You still didn't a-answer my question," Chad pointed out.

Alianna was silent for a moment. "I think it was the way he looked at me. It made me feel… _vulnerable_." Her blue eyes were fixed on their hands as she repressed a shudder, "I hated the way he used to eye me – as if I was something he would feast on."

Lucy saw Chad staring at his wife. His body stiffened when he heard those words and he probably recalled what Alfred had done to his sister. But he did not say anything or show any emotion. He simply stared at her, waiting for her to continue as if he knew there was more.

And sure enough, there was.

"He once s-said to me that I should marry him when I get older," Alianna went on, "because someone so _pretty_ like me should be the Lady of Daelhr. I didn't know what to say to that so I had simply looked away. And he had laughed and ruffled my hair, saying that my father would definitely look forward to that day," Alianna paused. "I was glad when he married Lady Estella instead."

"... Well he was r-right about one thing," Chad said, squeezing her hand tightly, "You did end up being the Lady of Daelhr."

She looked back at him and smiled. "I did."

Lucy looked away, pondering.

Alianna talked to Chad freely, she could see that. Alianna was not hesitant or shy or quiet when it came to speaking her feelings in front of Chad.

And Chad listened to her, comforted her and made her smile.

Were they in love with each other?

Were they close?

And what about all that Alianna had mentioned about Alfred? Was it important?

Probably not... Alfred was dead.

But then why couldn't she shake off the feeling that she was overlooking something?

**[][][][][][][][]**

"The stitches should be done by now, right?" Kayla asked, turning to look at Harry.

He was grimacing. "I suppose."

"Are you alright?"

"Yes."

She raised an eyebrow. "You're lying."

"… It's nothing."

"Tell me," she ordered.

Harry glanced at her before pointing towards his hand. "I got hit here."

"Are you bleeding?"

He shook his head. "No." he held it up. "But my wrist is swelling."

Kayla gasped. "Can you move your hand easily?"

"Not without pain."

"May I?" she asked hesitantly.

Harry stared at her for a moment before slowly holding out his hand.

Reaching out, Kayla tenderly touched his bruised skin. As gently as she could, she moved his hand.

He hissed lightly.

"It's not broken," she said, "Just badly sprained."

"Uh-huh."

She let go of his hand. "I'll get something to wrap your hand with."

With that, she left, returning a few minutes later. Sitting down next to him, Kayla took his hand and started wrapping strips of what seemed to be a stretchable cloth around his wrist, moving up towards his hand.

Harry glanced at his hand and then at the woman before him. Tilting his head thoughtfully, he smiled. "This is becoming kind of a habit of ours."

"I'm sorry?" Kayla looked up, confused.

"Me getting hurt and you bandaging me up," he explained. "It's almost like you're my personal healer now."

"Well, I'm not so you better stop getting hurt."

He chuckled and then winced when she wrapped it tight over the swollen area. "You're not tying it tightly on purpose this time, are you?" he asked.

"What do you think?"

"I like to think that you're not."

A small smile spread on her face as she tied it and moved her hands away from his. "Use ice. It will help."

"Admit it, you _are_ my personal healer," he told her.

She sighed exasperatedly. "At the moment, it does seem like it."

"Thank you, milady."

"You're welcome, Harry."

"Still doesn't change anything?" he asked, a cocky smile making its way onto his face.

She raised an eyebrow.

"Just curious," he explained.

"Ah," Kayla nodded. "Then it doesn't."

**[][][][][][][][]**

"There you go, milord," the healer said. "All done."

"Thank you," Chad breathed.

No more stitches! He would have danced with joy if his leg wasn't throbbing and his chest wasn't burning and his arm would move… He cursed those assassins once again.

He grimaced as he tried to take a deep breath. But his ribs were broken and they needed time to heal. And this meant that Chad was in for hell for a few weeks at least.

"Now, please don't try move much for a while, we want your ribs to heal properly. You should not walk or try to move your arm wildly." the healer said. "I suggest a complete bed-rest: No moving, no working, just resting."

"I have to work," Chad objected, "What of the c-city?"

"The city will function properly without you for a few days," Alianna told him, her voice soft.

"A month," the healer said, "At the minimum."

Chad blinked in shock. "A _month_?" he asked incredulously. "I cannot stop working for a month!"

"You will have to," the healer said, "if you wish to recover properly."

He shut his mouth, his mind working fast.

He couldn't stop working.

Not when there was so much to do.

The strikes. The protests. And well… other things too. Law and order. Trade. Defense of the city. Revenues. Public work.

No. he couldn't forget about all of it and lie on his bed… for a _month_!

"I shall apply the salve on your stitches and then bandage them," the healer said.

Chad nodded and then hissed as he realized that he had subconsciously moved his body too. Waves of agony washed over him.

"And what of the pain in my chest?" Chad asked breathlessly. "It is continuously increasing."

"I can make a potion that will help relieve the pain, milord," the healer said.

"You should go and make it then," a voice he recognized as Lucy's reached his ears and he quickly looked towards the couch. "He is in pain. I'll bandage his leg."

"But my queen, you –"

"It's alright," Lucy said, "I know enough about medicine to do this. You should go."

"Very well," the healer bowed slightly and walked out of the room.

"Queen Lucy," he was surprised, "I t-thought you left the room with Harry."

"I didn't," Lucy replied nonchalantly as she came to sit on the edge of the bed.

Chad didn't reply, but just stared at the Valiant Queen.

Her beautiful brown hair was tied in a neat braid. Her deep eyes were fixed on his wound. Her face was prettier than ever…

And his chest hurt – though from the wound or from the heartache, he could not tell.

He knew he should be angry at this woman but at the moment, he had no strength to do so.

He took a deep breath and grimaced once again.

"Does it hurt that much?" Alianna's soft voice asked.

He glanced at her. "I'm fine."

She didn't say anything, though he knew that she knew he was lying.

A moment later he felt Lucy's fingers slowly apply a thick, cold substance on his leg. Her touch was soft, smooth – and it inflamed his old memories, the ones he had tried to shut down deep within him.

"Alianna?" he spoke up. "Can you apply that salve?"

Lucy paused and looked at him. "Am I hurting you?"

"No," he said, "You're a queen. You don't have to sit at my feet, applying medicines."

"He's right, Queen Lucy," Alianna said, holding out a hand, "Let me do it."

"No, I'm fine," Lucy insisted and continued to apply it on his leg.

Chad didn't argue. He knew by Lucy's cold tone that she would now apply this to his entire wound, no matter what. She was too stubborn to give the salve to Alianna.

Lucy's fingers softly rubbed the salve over his wound, which hurt, but her fingers were so soft, and it had been ages since she had touched him...

He shivered involuntarily and then hissed in pain.

_Don't_, he ordered himself, forcing his mind to other things. And that was when worries filled him.

Chad looked at his wife. "I have to work." he said to her, "P-Philip and Demetrius won't be able to handle everything," He said.

"Milord, you don't even have the strength to get up and sit by yourself," Alianna said, "You have to let your injuries heal properly."

Chad opened his mouth to argue when –

"I can help," the Valiant Queen offered.

"What?" Chad turned to her.

"I can manage the matters of Daelhr while you are healing, if you want."

"I can't ask you to –"

"I'm here anyway so I don't think it will be a problem," Lucy shrugged.

"You are here for a few days."

"I can stay longer," she told him, "My friends in the other city can wait. And I _can _handle all the matters, considering I rule the whole of Narnia."

"B-But I want to be involved in the matters myself."

He couldn't imagine a life where he would not have any work to do. His work was his escape, his way of passing time, his way of keeping his mind from wandering. He couldn't live without his work.

"Well, I can discuss the matters with you but you won't be doing any work," Lucy said, "And you won't have to worry about overburdening me as you might have thought if Philip and Demetrius were to handle the matters of the city."

"Can you do this for him?" Alianna asked. Clearly, she liked the idea.

Lucy picked up the bandage lying nearby and started wrapping it around his leg. "Sure."

"Then that would be great." Alianna said.

"I know."

Wait.

They didn't even ask his opinion.

_How unfair_!

"B-But –" he tried to protest.

"Milord, you heard what the healer said," Alianna said. "Please, you will have to rest."

He tried taking a deep breath again. He was beginning to feel dizzy now. "I d-do want to be involved in the matters," he said, submitting to whatever these two women were asking of him, "I have a certain way of ruling my city and I would prefer it if that way is n-not changed."

"Of course," Lucy nodded. "Daelhr is your city."

"Thank you, my queen," Alianna smiled, "For offering your help."

Lucy smiled, and even in this haze Chad could tell that it was forced. "Anytime, Alianna."

He frowned, noticing her tone. She still held a grudge against Alianna. Why was she acting like this towards Alianna? Was she jealous? Did she blame Alianna for what happened between them?

_When will she realize that it was not Alianna that destroyed our relationship, but it was her feelings for Harry?_ He wondered.

"All done," Lucy said, standing up.

"Thank y-you," Chad said.

"You're welcome," she smiled slightly at him. "I guess I'll go and see what Harry and Kayla are up to."

Chad's heartache grew and the questions flooded his mind again as he watched her go.

Why did she do this? Why could they never be together?

He wanted her to be with him. And he knew that this was wrong. He was married now. And his wife was a good woman – a very, _very _good woman.

Yes. Letting go of Lucy was hard.

But Alianna was now the reality of his life. And it was a reality he liked. Alianna was a perfect wife - she was with him when he wanted her to be and she knew when to leave him alone. She cared for him and he knew that he felt the same about her.

Sighing, he looked back at Alianna, realizing that he still hadn't let go of her hand. "Thank you." he said to her, "For talking... It helped ease the pain."

She smiled at him.

He hesitated, "And I don't want you to ever be scared of anyone, like you were about Alfred." He said, "I will protect you from anyone who wants to harm you, I promise."

"I know."

"Good." He paused, "I want to sleep."

"You should," Alianna said as she moved to get off the bed.

"Just… don't leave me alone."

She stopped and looked at him in wonder, her eyes full of questions.

Exhaustion washed over him, his body ached, his wounds hurt, and he felt so numb. "I don't want to be alone."

"You're not," Alianna told him, as she settled back next to him. "I'm here with you."

Everything was spinning. It was hazy.

He felt her soft fingers in his hair and he found his body relaxing on its own. A moment later, the sweet melody reached his ears – the soft lullaby she hummed soothed him.

The pain was reaching its peak and he wanted to succumb to it...

But her fingers were bringing him peace – as if he was drowning in a stormy sea and she was the only island he could swim out to.

"Alianna," he whispered.

She stopped humming and looked at him questioningly.

He raised his hand and placed it on her neck.

Gently, Chad pulled her down and she let him – probably because she was puzzled – and once her face was close enough, Chad whispered, "I'm glad I accepted Demetrius' proposal all that time ago."

And then he placed his lips against her soft ones. It was a simple touch, his lips brushed against hers only for a second before he let go of her and slumped back.

To say that Alianna was shocked by his action would have been an understatement. She was frozen like a statue, her mouth agapeas she stared at him with her wide blue eyes.

He hid a smile at her reaction, not wanting to make her more uncomfortable, and closed his eyes.

It took a few moments, or perhaps a few minutes before her fingers started moving in his hair again and she continued to hum.

And it wasn't long before he lost all sense of his surroundings and fell into deep, but painful, slumber.

* * *

><p><strong>There, that is the end. Next chapter: More of the mess in Daelhr and also of what is going on with the other monarchs of Narnia...<strong>

** Until then, thank you for reading and**

**REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW**

**VVVVVVV  
>VVVVV<br>VVV  
>V <strong>


	16. Chapter 16

** I am Cat. Ennarre (along with all of my friends) say that I am crazy. In spirit of me FINALLY getting the chance to see the DVRed recording of the Academy Awards, I will now sound (briefly) like I'm giving a presentation speech :P...**

"**My dear readers...fjebgjtysdl pbbbbbtttttt :P You don't read ANY of our author's notes, do you? Because IF YOU _DID_, you'd know that we ARE going to include the people in Cair Paravel... That part of this chapter is for those who won't stop bugging -**

_**Ennarre: a little mean, don't you think?**_

_**Cat: Nope :P**_

**- us about the kids!**

**Also, both Ennarre and I agree that we love Anamayea, who is AWESOME! If you can't listen to us, listen to her... You dear, get a hug from both of us! :P We would have PMed you, but you didn't have a link for us to do so..."**

**Now that THAT'S over... let's get on with the story!**

**Cat: I'm covered in hair. Blue ribbon hair.**

**Ennarre: But this has nothing to do with D&D! *Facepalm* Anyway... Thank you to all the reviewers. This one is for you! :P**

**Disclaimer: Narnia not mine.**

* * *

><p><strong>.<strong>

**Desires and Destiny**

**Chapter 16**

**.**

"How're you feeling now?" Kayla asked her brother the next morning.

"My body hurts. I cannot move. It took Alianna five whole minutes to put me in this sitting position. And I've been ordered not to work." Chad glared at her. "How do you think I am?"

"No one likes stopping you from working," Lucy, who was standing next to Kayla, said. "But it is necessary if you want to get better."

"I know that," Chad snapped. Now that he could think straight, much of his anger towards the Valiant Queen had returned.

"Your breakfast, milord," Alianna said, placing a tray in his lap.

Chad muttered something under his breath.

Kayla sighed. "Don't look so miserable, Chad. Look, we are going to eat our breakfast in this room too so that we could give you company."

"But you'll be eating there on that table while I'm stuck here on this damn bed!"

"Stop whining before I smack your head!" Kayla warned.

"Whatever," Chad said and picked up a piece of toast with his left hand because he couldn't use his right.

"Chad! Chad!" Philip came running into the room, Demetrius right behind him, both looking pale. "We just got the news. Came running out here. What happened?"

"And how are you?" Demetrius asked, concern etched on his face.

"Calm down," Chad said. "I'm fine and I was attacked."

"By who?"

"I don't know."

Philip turned to Alianna angrily. "Why didn't you inform us of this event earlier?"

"She was busy with me," Chad spoke. "Do not be angry with her."

Philip glared at his sister for another few seconds but did not say anything else.

"Well, it is a good thing you were saved," Demetrius said. "We don't want to lose the best governor this city has ever had to a few assassins."

Chad smiled.

"My Queen," Demetrius bowed when he noticed Lucy, "Forgive me, I did not notice you. I was worried about Chad."

"It's alright," Lucy replied with a slight smile, nodding towards Philip too. "It is good to see you two after such a long time."

"Indeed," Philip said.

"Join us for breakfast," Kayla said to them. "Come on, sit!"

As they sat down on the couch and the chairs, and Alianna on the bed next to Chad, there was a knock on the door followed by Harry walking into the room.

He inclined his head in respect before turning to look at Chad. "Milord, the guards sealed the area of the attack and they have been trying to trace who the assassins were."

"Any luck?" Lucy asked.

Harry nodded. "One." he paused, "He was a man named Selwin. Lived in a small hut on the other side of the city. From what your guards say, he has been working as a builder in the construction projects."

Chad seemed thoughtful. "Anything else? Is there anyone in his family that we can question?"

"He had no wife or children," Harry told him. "From what the guards tell me, Selwin has a distant cousin."

"Who?"

Harry hesitated. "A man named Talan. He is currently the leader of the labour force."

"What!" Philip exclaimed, standing up in anger. "Are you sure of this?"

"I do not know," Harry replied. "I'm only telling you what the guards told me. I don't even know much about the city."

"Talan! Of course he is the one behind this attack," Philip said, "The man hates Chad. And he would do anything to get rid of him."

"Calm down, Philip," Chad said, not liking the way his friend was shaking with rage. An angry Philip was never a good thing. "I think we should wait until all the investigation is done."

"It is clear - Talan sent his men to kill you. That bastard!" Philip said. "I'll teach him a lesson!"

"Don't!" Chad ordered, moving to get up.

"Philip, sit back down," Demetrius said.

But Philip had stormed out of the room.

Chad sighed, grimacing as his chest exploded with pain. Trying to get up was not the best thing to do.

Had he been fine, he would have followed Philip and dragged him back. But it was no good now. He just hoped that he didn't do anything stupid.

"What am I going to do with that boy?" Demetrius said, running a hand over his face tiredly.

"Don't worry," Chad said, "I'll talk to him, once he returns... which I hope is soon. I don't want him to do something that we all will regret."

"Do you want me to go after him?" Harry asked slowly.

Chad nodded, staring at Harry as the latter moved towards the door.

The Lord of Daelhr hated him. He was the man who had kissed Lucy - who had ruined his life. Who was the reason behind his heartbreak.

But this was the man who had saved his life...

"Harry," Chad called.

Harry stopped and turned.

Everyone was staring at Chad, but he tried to ignore it. Taking a deep breath, he said, "Thank you."

Harry blinked. "... For what?"

"For yesterday," Chad said, his face blank and yet honest, "I owe you my life."

"It was nothing but my duty."

"I'm thankful nonetheless."

Harry inclined his head and left.

"That was nice of you," Lucy commented.

And Chad's anger boiled. Of course Lucy would approve when someone was nice to Harry - she loved that man. "I said what was necessary," he snapped. "I didn't do it to get your approval, my Queen."

She didn't say anything but the hurt in her eyes was clear to him. He wasn't sure if he felt happy or pained to see that.

Everyone ate silently for a few minutes. Then -

"Well, you should rest and take care of yourself so that you get well real soon, Chad, my boy," Demetrius spoke up, his voice kind, "And you won't have to worry about anything. Philip and I will handle all the matters of the city."

"That wont be necessary," Lucy replied.

"I beg your pardon, my queen?"

"I said that won't be necessary," Lucy said sweetly. "I told Chad that I can take care of the matters of the city while he recovers."

Demetrius was silent for a moment. "...You don't have to. I mean, you are visiting Daelhr. It would be so wrong to force you to work while -"

"I'm doing it willingly."

"Ah," Demetrius smiled. "Of course."

Lucy raised an eyebrow. "And I assume you and Philip will help me govern."

He inclined his head. "Of course."

"Perfect, then," Lucy stood up. "I have to speak with Harry, if I can find him, but I shall expect you in the library in an hour. We have work to do."

"In Lord Chad's private library, milady?"

"No," Lucy paused, glancing at Chad from the corner of her eyes, "I think it will be best if I stay away from Chad's private safe haven, which happens to be _his _personal territory."

And with that, she left.

**[][][][][][][][]**

"Well, well, well, what have we got here?" Peter said as he walked into his room. "The beautiful princess is playing with her little brother peacefully. How did _that _happen?"

"Patrick is being good today," Irene replied.

"Is that so?"

She nodded. "He didn't pull my hair today."

"That is some good news," Peter chuckled. "May I join you two?"

"Sure."

Peter smiled as he walked over to the bed where both his kids were sitting. "How is my princess?"

Irene, his pretty little daughter with her auburn wavy hair that she got from Isabel and her shocking blue eyes that she definitely inherited from him, reached forward and kissed his cheek. "Great," she said. "And how's my daddy?"

"Good," the High King replied, turning to look at his son.

Patrick had turned two last month. With deep brown eyes, chubby cheeks and the cutest laughter, the boy was without doubt the most energized child in his opinion.

"And you, Pat," Peter said. "How are you?"

"Papa!" Patrick cheered. "Food!"

Peter made a face. "You certainly do take after your Uncle Edmund," he muttered as he reached out for a banana and peeled it open.

Irene giggled. "He is always hungry, isn't he?"

Peter chuckled. "I just don't know how he can stuff all that in such a tiny body."

"Eda stuffs all that food in his body," Irene pointed out. Even though she could now pronounce Edmund's name right, she still called him 'Eda' at home. Only in formal balls or in front of others did she refer to him as 'Uncle Edmund'. And strangely, Edmund never objected to it.

"You have a point," Peter said as he watched Patrick eat the fruit. "Anyways, what were you doing?"

Irene's eyes lit up and she clapped. "I was teaching Pat how to count."

"Really?"

"Yes. He can count to ten now."

Peter felt proud of his children. Of course it was over something so small like counting, but his son was learning. And his daughter was teaching her little brother how to count. Every time they learnt something or did something new, his heart would fill with pride and happiness. Being a father was truly amazing.

Peter looked at his son. "Count to ten for me, Pat."

Nothing.

"Come on, Start counting!"

Not a word.

"Please?"

No success.

"It's a group effort. Look," Irene told him. "Patrick… One."

"Two," Patrick said.

"Three," Irene went on.

"Foo."

Peter laughed. "Five."

"Six." Patrick cheered, holding out six fingers.

"Very good," Irene said, "Seven."

"E…" Patrick stopped.

"Eight," Peter told him slowly.

"Nine!" Patrick smiled.

"Ten!" All three of them shouted.

"It seems like you've leaned your numbers, my King," Isabel, who had walked into the room, commented.

"Patrick can count!" Peter told his wife.

Isabel smiled. "Yes, I know. Irene has been working on it since morning." She sat on the bed. "And it seems she has succeeded. Right, Patrick?"

"Mama," Patrick jumped and hugged the queen.

"He didn't hug me when I came here," Peter complained.

"Well, I'm his favorite parent."

"No, you're not," Peter said, pulling Patrick into his lap. "Patrick – is Mama good or is Papa good?"

"Mama good," the little prince said casually.

Peter's expression was a mixture of irritation, sadness and anger. "A-And papa, is papa good?"

Patrick sucked on his finger as he looked at everyone, seeming thoughtful.

"He is actually considering what to say?" The High King asked incredulously over the laughter of his wife and daughter.

"I don't blame him," Isabel joked. "I would have considered if I were asked that question too."

Peter grumbled something under his breath.

"You're the best daddy in the whole world," Irene said, hugging him. "Patrick knows that."

"You think so?"

Irene nodded.

"Thank you, angel," Peter smiled, kissing his daughter's brow. "You're the best daughter in the world."

Irene flicked her hair back. "I know that."

"With a modest personality like your father," Isabel stated.

Peter rolled his eyes, turning to his son who was tugging on his tunic. "What is it, Pat?"

"One?"

The High King raised an eyebrow. "Two."

"Three."

"He is not going to stop now. He has been doing that do me all day." Irene told him. "Good luck, daddy!"

"What do you mean? And where are you going?"

"To play with Estella and Caleb."

"Three!" Patrick screamed.

"Four?" Peter looked at wife for help.

"This is your chance of becoming the _best _father ever," she said leaning forward to place a chaste kiss on his lips. "Meanwhile, I'm going to take a long bath."

"Five," Patrick clapped.

Peter sighed and slumped down. "Six."

**[][][][][][][][]**

"I could see how uncomfortable Demetrius was with the idea of me taking over Chad's place," Lucy said to Harry, "That is good."

"But milady, you taking over Lord Chad's work means that we'll have to stay in Daelhr for a month, maybe more," Harry pointed out.

"That gives us even more time to find some evidence against them."

Harry looked troubled for a moment.

"What is it, Harry?" she asked.

He shook his head. "Nothing," he replied. "I-I guess you are right - this is perhaps the best we can do right now."

Lucy nodded as she turned to look at her friend who was sitting on the other side of the couch. "You went after Philip," she said. "What happened?"

"Philip rode out and he found Talan and he beat him."

"What?" Lucy exclaimed in surprise.

"In front of everyone. And he kept on shouting how Talan wanted to kill Chad," Harry told her. "And Talan kept on shouting that he didn't do anything. I had to rush in and pull Philip away before he did some serious damage."

"That's not good," Lucy sighed. "I have no idea how the labour will react to this."

Harry chuckled darkly. "Philip is mad."

"I suppose," Lucy said with a sad smiled. "But then again, both of Demetrius' sons are mad."

Harry frowned, turning to look at her. "Both?"

And Lucy slapped her forehead - hard. "Of course!" she exclaimed, out of breath all of a sudden. "How could I be so stupid?"

"What is it?"

"How could I forget something like this?" She went on, "And its not like it is the biggest secret or something... But I guess that I, too, trusted Demetrius and his family and considered them friends like everyone else."

"Lucy," Harry spoke up, "Can you tell me what you're talking about or should I just sit here and see you rant?"

"Philip is not Demetrius' only son." Lucy told him. "He had another son, who was even more crazy than Philip. His name is Emery, and he is the man who raped Kayla along with Alfred and Bayard."

Harry's eyes went wide.

"After everyone found out about what he did, Demetrius and his family were shamed." Lucy said, "But once, Chad became the Lord of Daelhr, Demetrius came and begged for forgiveness, asking Chad to not condemn his whole family just because of what Emery did.

"It took a long time but eventually Chad was able to forgive them," she went on, "And he convinced us all to give Demetrius and Philip and Alianna another chance too."

"Chad _forgave _the family of the man who raped Kayla?" Harry asked, his voice filled with some emotion Lucy could not guess.

"He did." Lucy said. "And I know that it was not easy for him, considering that he was the one who took care of Kayla all those years when she was... mentally disturbed."

Harry was quiet for a few moments. "And you think that this has something to do with Demetrius' plans?"

"It could be." she said, "Demetrius declared that he was ashamed of what Emery did and that he refused to call him his son. All three of them even stopped talking about him... but what if they never forgot?"

"And now they want revenge for their dead family member?"

Lucy stared at him. "No," she murmured. "Emery is not dead. He is in prison in Cair."

"... You might be on the right track, Lucy, but we still need proof."

"I know." she sighed, "And now, we've a month to find some."

**[][][][][][][][]**

Later that evening, Harry decided to take a walk in the gardens to clear his head. Hadiya had been in his thoughts all day and he couldn't help but worry. They were going to be in Daelhr a lot longer than planned and he didn't know what to do.

_I know that Molly said she would watch over Hadiya for a few days, but Aslan knew when they'd get back now. Molly already has enough on her plate, taking care of her own 6 children... I know that Hadiya isn't any trouble, but I can't ask _that _of her... What am I gonna -_

Harry's thoughts were cut off when something caused him to stumble and fall on his face.

"Hey!" he heard a irritated voice call out.

Harry turned over and saw that the "something" he had tripped over was actually a "someone" and the "someone" was actually the Lady Kayla, who was giving him a deathly glare.

Harry hurriedly stood up and offered his hand to help Kayla up, but stood up on her own, brushing herself off.

Harry looked at her hands and realized they were cut in several places. Alarmed, he reached over and gently took her wrist, so as to not infect the fresh wounds as he took out his water flask to wash the dirt out of her cut.

"I thought you were supposed to tend for my wounds, not the other way around," he teased as he took the handkerchief she offered to wrap her hand.

"We never agreed on that," she shot back.

"How'd you get these cuts anyway?" he asked as he tied the knot on the wrapping.

"Why'd you trip over me?" she challenged.

"Kayla..." he trailed off, letting her know that he wanted an answer. She simply crossed her arms and looked at him critically, waiting for his answer. "I was lost in thought, okay?"

"About?..." she prodded.

"I'm not telling until you answer my question first. We'll take turns... I ask, and you answer, then you ask and I'll answer."

"Fine." Kayla humphed in defeat. "Alianna's the flower person, not me," she said in explanation.

"I was thinking about my sister," Harry supplied. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You have a sister?" Kayla asked in surprise.

"Yes. Now you owe me two answers," Harry replied with a playful smirk.

"Don't get cheeky with me!" Kayla made a face. "But you're right. You know how Alianna said she wanted to bring flowers into her and Chad's room?"

"I actually didn't, but go on..." Harry waved his hand in a "continue" gesture.

"Anyway, she's been at Chad's side nonstop, keeping him company, that she hasn't had a chance to come out and pick them herself, and asked me if I wouldn't mind doing it for her. I had nothing better to do so I agreed."

"So how'd you get those cuts on your hands?"

Kayla blushed in embarrassment. "I guess I forgot that these flowers had thorns," she mumbled, ushering to the basket at her feet. "Honestly, I didn't really even notice until _someone_ tripped over me, causing me to fall into the bush."

"I'm sorry," Harry apologized, instantly feeling guilty.

"It's alright," Kayla said kindly.

_Must be having a good day, _Harry thought.

"But do you want to talk to me about what's troubling you about your sister?" Kayla asked. "Did she do something wrong or something?"

"Oh, no," Harry said. "Hadiya is a perfect angel. She's about Princess Irene's age... and I'm just worried about what I'm going to do now that Queen Lucy is extending her stay here in Daelhr. I'm her private guard, it's not like I can just go back to Cair Paravel for Hads."

Kayla smiled, shaking her head lightly. "Brothers," she said. "You all always worry about your sisters. Don't worry, I'm sure your sister will be fine with your mom and dad for a little while."

Harry suddenly became rigid, his face was expressionless, but anger and hurt evident in his eyes.

"Hadiya would _never_ be fine with my _father_," he spit out the last word as if he was ashamed to have said it. "And my mother... Hadiya and I live alone," he finished, a distant longing in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know." Kayla said, startled at Harry's reaction. "Who's Hadiya staying with now?"

"Molly is our neighbor and a good friend of mine. She's a widow by war and works in the kitchen at the castle. She loves the princes and princesses as her own and will often sneak them and Hadiya sweet treats if ever they go knocking on the kitchen's back door."

Hadiya smiled.

"Whenever Hadiya isn't reading or playing with Princess Irene, she is often found playing with one or more of Molly's six children." he paused, deep in memories, a smile on his face as he told Kayla about one of his nicest friends. "Ever since I got Hadiya, I've trusted Molly to take care of her whenever I have to go out of town and can't bring Hads with."

"Molly seems like a very nice lady," Kayla said kindly. "What's wrong with asking if she wouldn't mind watching Hadiya for a bit longer than planned?"

"Being a kitchen maid can only get you so far financially," Harry explained. "Especially when you're a widowed mother of six. I know Molly would take Hadiya in for a bit longer if I asked her, but I can't do that to her."

"What if you sent her a weekly allowance to take care of Hadiya with?" Kayla suggested.

"It's not like I wouldn't but she's too proud to take it." Harry answered immediately. "That woman's one downfall is her pride that she can take care of her family all on her own. I once offered her a silver coin for taking care of Hadiya an extra two weeks, but..."

"But?"

"But she refused to even consider accepting it," he told her, "And when I insisted, she threatened to hit me with a big wooden spoon."

Kayla laughed. "Did she?"

"No!" Harry told her. "She is a friend and she jokes like this often."

"Pity," she said. "That would have been quite a story."

Harry smiled and then shook his head. "I just don't want to be a burden on Molly."

"Then for Aslan's sake, Harry, call Hadiya to Daelhr!"

Harry started to protest, but Kayla held up her hand to stop him.

"Look, I know you're going to say something about there not being enough room in your bedroom for her to stay with you. I can see from your previous responses that you've honestly taken every other option into consideration and don't want to inconvenience anyone, but now you've made the mistake of telling me about it so I'm not going to back down. Call your sister to Daelhr. There's a spare bedroom down the hall from my room. She can stay there as my personal guest." Kayla told him in a no-nonsense tone.

Harry was frozen for a moment, shock written all over his face when suddenly a huge smile spread across it.

"You'd do that for me?" he asked.

"For you and Hadiya," Kayla smiled. "You saved Chad's life. Besides, I don't need anymore sad faces around Ardross... Chad has more than enough for everyone right now."

Harry took both of her small hands in his big, strong ones. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I'm going to go write for Molly to arrange for her to be sent up now!"

Kayla smiled at his giddiness. "Glad to be of help."

"You have no idea how much I appreciate this, Kayla!" he said, placing a quick chaste kiss on her cheek, before freezing as he realized what he'd done.

Kayla stared at him, her eyes wide in shock.

A couple of silent moments passed and then she pulled her hands away from his.

"You are _so _lucky that my brother is injured and he did not see that," she said in a menacing voice as she picked up her basket and walked away, leaving a very stunned, yet very alive Harry behind her.

**[][][][][][][][]**

Chad was irritated. He had been trying to sleep for more than an hour now – and no success. He was tired of lying in the bed, not being able to move and not having anything to do.

And it had been just a week! How was he going to survive three more weeks of this immobilized torture?

With a small sigh, the Lord of Daelhr opened his eyes and looked around.

He saw Alianna standing by the window, looking out, her body tense and her hands fidgeting. And this was something that Chad had noticed over the last week.

Alianna had been taking such good care of him. She took care of his medicines, his food, and spent her time by his side talking to him. She was amazing. But Chad had also noticed that when Alianna thought that Chad was asleep or not looking, she would fidget and pace.

Something was worrying her – something that she did not share with him, something that he wanted to find out.

"Alianna?" Chad called.

She jumped. "Milord, you are awake."

"I couldn't sleep," he said. "And you?"

"It's afternoon, I'm not even supposed to be sleeping at the moment."

He motioned her to come close. "Then what is your excuse for last night?"

"_Excuse_?" she asked as she walked towards the bed and took a seat on the edge.

Chad eyed the dark circles beginning to form beneath her eyes. "You've not been getting any sleep in the past few nights, Alianna," he said. "Do you think I didn't notice that?"

"I don't know what you're talking about?" she said quickly, looking away.

He reached out and took her hand. "Is something wrong?"

"No."

"Look at me, Alianna," he ordered.

She did, her emotion-filled blue eyes fixed on his.

"Is something wrong?" Chad repeated his question.

She didn't look away. But she wasn't able to lie either. Instead, she slowly shook her head, her lower lip trembling.

Chad let go of her hand and caressed her cheek. "What troubles you?"

"Nothing… I-I just…" she trailed off.

"You what?"

"I just want to cry," she told him in a small voice.

He blinked in surprise, wondering why she wanted to do so. But now was not the time to ask her.

"Then cry," he told her as he pulled her to him. Wrapping an arm around her small waist, he held her close as she buried her face in the crook of his neck and cried.

All was silent for a few minutes as Alianna's sobs died out.

She pulled back, wiping her teak streaked face with the back of her hand, she stared at him with wide eyes. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have –"

"I don't want an apology," he cut her off. "I want an explanation."

She looked away, worry flooding her features. She didn't say anything for a long while. Then – "I'm confused."

"About what?" he asked.

"How does one determine what is right and what is wrong?" she asked. "What if right and wrong are so closely intertwined that it becomes hard to differentiate between them?"

"It depends on what those right and wrong things are."

"Does it matter?" she questioned. "What if you think you are doing the right thing but it turns out to be wrong for others?"

Chad frowned. "Well then it would depend on what you will be gaining by doing the thing you think is right and what the others will be losing. It comes down to what your actions cost you and the others."

She seemed thoughtful for a while and then turned with a sigh, only to find him staring at her intently. "I'm a mess, aren't I?" she asked.

"I'd be lying if I said you weren't."

"It's just that everything is wrong," she finally said, lying down next to him. "You are injured. You are in pain. And those men tried to kill you."

"Is that what you're worried about?"

She didn't say anything.

"Alianna, look," he sighed. "I'm hurt but I'll recover. We'll find out what those men wanted and everything will be alright again."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

"I…" she trailed off for a second, "I think I'll visit my father tonight."

"Why?"

She shrugged. "Is it okay if you have dinner with Kayla or Lucy this evening?"

"I'll miss you," he said. "But if seeing your father and brother will make you feel better then you should go."

Alianna smiled at him. "Thank you, milord."

**[][][][][][][][]**

"Hadiya!" Irene cheered. "I talked to father and he agreed."

The children were in the playroom one afternoon when Hadiya had walked in.

"We are going to the falls to play tomorrow!" Caleb said, his eyes twinkling.

"We'll run, eat and have so much fun there!" Irene said.

Hadiya looked sad. "I cannot come with you."

"But you said that you could," Estella pouted.

"I know," Hadiya sighed. "But my brother is staying in Daelhr with your auntie so I have to go and live with him."

"This is not fair," Irene said. "We've been planning to go to the falls for five days!"

"I have to go to Harry."

"Does this mean we won't go to the falls?" Estella asked.

"No," Caleb replied. "This means we will have fun without Hadiya."

"When are you leaving?" Irene asked her friend.

"Now," Hadiya replied. "I just came to say goodbye."

"We'll miss you."

She smiled, her emerald eyes looking sad. "So will I." she waved her hand at them. "But have fun at the falls."

"We will," Estella said.

"And when you come back, we'll go again," Irene said.

Hadiya nodded and moved towards the door. She stopped and turned. "I'll see you all soon. Play a lot, have fun, and please stay _out _of trouble while I'm gone!"

**[][][][][][][][]**

The next afternoon, the kings and queens were enjoying their picnic in the gardens. Caleb, Estella and Irene had gone off with some guards to play by Lucy's favorite waterfall. Patrick played on his father's lap while the High King sipped his tea.

Edmund had just finished telling a joke when some rustling in the bushes that bordered the gardens made everyone stand alert.

Suddenly, Irene burst out of the foliage, several cuts on her hands and a bruise or two forming on her face.

She ran into her mother's arms, completely out of breath, as the others stared at her in shock and concern.

But that all seemed like nothing when the kings and queens heard what she said next -

"Caleb and Estella have been kidnapped."

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><p><strong>duh dum DUHHHHHH <strong>

***evil laugh!* **

**Cat again! That's what you all get for pushing us to include the kids! We will get right on letting you know what happens next, but in the meantime:**

**REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW**

**VVVVV  
>VVV<br>V **


	17. Chapter 17

**Hey guys, it's Cat again...**

**Listen, I know that some of you are really mad at me and blame me for a lot of the bad things that happen in the story. I wish I could say that I completely am ok with you guys not liking me and tell you that I'm fine getting all the hate for the story, but I can't. I completely get that the whole reason you're reading Desires and Destiny is because of Ennarre's BRILLIANT writing style and not because of me.**

**I just wish that you would give me a chance. I re-read all of the author's notes I've put up in the past and can totally see how you guys could mistake it for me being rude and bitter to the reviewers, but it wasn't intended that way. The last author's note I wrote was intended to be a joke. We didn't have Caleb and Estella kidnapped just because some reviewers kept asking for them to be included, we did it because we have a story planned for everyone in the story and it was time for that storyline to start. I'm NOT saying any of this for sympathy (since I truly don't want any), I'm just saying that I understand where all of the bitterness is coming from.**

**I don't know if any of you have noticed, but anytime something bad happens, I'm blamed because I make a little joke about it... and even when I don't make a joke, I'm still blamed because I'm not Ennarre. Please remember that Ennarre was making these characters' lives twist and turn like a roller coaster WAY before I came in. I understand how it makes sense to blame me since I'm just the new not-as-experienced author and you don't want to blame Ennarre for any of the bad plot twists because you like her so much, but enough is enough. Just do me a favor and put yourself in my shoes for a moment:**

**You just finished reading Definitely Destiny after following the series since the beginning. You get really excited seeing that Ennarre is looking for help writing the final story in the trilogy and weigh the pros and cons of offering your help. Next thing you know, Ennarre has messaged you back and a few days later, you post the first chapter of Desires and Destiny together. You still have no idea how you got so lucky, but roll with it anyway. Next thing you know, a bunch of the reviewers (someone you once were) are hating on you and your new friend about how much they don't like you and don't want her to write with you. You know how much it's hurting her to get the hate and hate to see others suffer, so you offer to tell the reviewers to just hate on you and leave her out of it. She tries to talk you out of it, but eventually agrees to let you write an author's note about it.**

**The one note turns into a few more and the different notes receive different reactions. By the time you're planning the author's note for chapter 16, you're feeling like teasing the reviewers a bit so you offer to write the note in a teasing tone, completely forgetting the fact that when on paper (or screen) words can be taken in anyway the reader reads them.**

**And now I realize that I accidentally turned that into a rant, but my point is that I want you to know that I'm NOT trying to be mean to the reviewers, but I know that the way I say some things DOES come off as rude and mean... Nothing that you say in a review ever could truly annoy us and we DO take everything that you say and want to see to heart and try to see if we can fit it into the story. Bottom line is that I wanted to apologize to anyone I've offended.**

**Disclaimer: Narnia belongs to C.S. Lewis.**

* * *

><p><strong>.<strong>

**Desires and Destiny**

**Chapter 17**

**.**

"Caleb and Estella have been kidnapped."

Everyone froze, staring at the young princess, trying to absorb what she had just said.

"What?" Susan asked in shock.

"They are gone," Irene said, tears running down her cheeks. "They took them!"

"Are you alright, Irene?" Peter asked, rushing forward to his daughter.

She nodded, her small frame shaking slightly.

The High King placed his hands on her shoulders. "Tell us what happened."

Irene looked at him with her scared, blue eyes and nodded.

"_Seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty! Ready or not, here I come!" Estella shouted, laughing. Just like her Aunt Lucy, she loved playing hide and seek with her family._

_Irene peeked through the branches of the bush she was hiding in. From all the times they had played hide and seek by the waterfall, she had cleared a little "fort" in the middle of the big bush. Only their guards knew of it since Irene's father, High King Peter, had insisted that they know where she was at all times._

"_Found you!" Irene heard Estella call as she pulled Caleb out of a bush similar to hers across the clearing. "Those branches ruined your new playclothes."_

_Irene was about to climb out of her hiding place to claim her victory as winner of the game when she heard something that made her crouch back and lie low in terror._

_Behind her on the other side of the bush, she heard a muffled cry followed by the gurgled breath. Irene didn't have to look to know it was her personal guard who had just been killed, since she didn't hear him call out to tell them they had to return to the castle immediately._

_Frozen in terror, she watched as the shadow of a large man, crept around the bush and crouched just out of view of the clearing. The figure was looking intently forward and following his gaze, Irene saw that he was watching her cousins._

"_There, that's better," Estella said, brushing the last of the dirt off of her his tunic. "Now help me find-"_

_Estella broke off her sentence as a cry of pain rang out in the clearing as another one of the children's guards was slain._

_Estella and Caleb looked frantically around, but just as a deer caught in headlights, Irene knew they had no chance as four men - including the one near Irene - jumped forward from the shadows and grabbed her cousins, pressing a cloth over their mouths. After a few seconds, Estella and Caleb stopped thrashing and Irene knew the fabric must have been soaked in some chemical to make them pass out._

_Out of the corner of her eye, Irene saw the handkerchief of the man who had been crouched beside her and knew that she had to get it to her father for the dogs to get the men's scent to find Estella and Caleb._

_Slowly, not wanting to make a sound and get caught, Irene reached out and thanked Aslan that the cloth was in arm's reach. Fingers grasping the one thing that could save her cousins, Irene made sure it was only the four men and waited they turned away from her hiding place before slowly backing out of her bush. Her eyes never leaving her attackers, Irene backed up until she was far enough away that several trees separated them._

_As soon as she was a few hundred yards away, Irene spun around and ran as fast as she could back to the castle, ignoring the angry cries of the men behind her and not caring of the sharp branches tearing her dress and skin._

_She had to warn her parents._

_She had to get Caleb and Estella back._

"... The man left this," Irene finished, holding out the small piece of cloth. "Please, you have to bring them back. I want Estella and Caleb back."

"We'll find them," Peter promised, taking the handkerchief from her and passing it to Edmund. "Search the woods, take as many men and dogs as you want. Find the kids."

"I will," Edmund said, turning towards Caspian. "Are you coming?"

Caspian nodded. And without wasting another moment, the two kings walked away.

**[][][][][][][][][]**

"How are you feeling, milord?" Alianna asked Chad.

"Fine," he replied, glancing up from the papers he was studying to find her sitting before the mirror, combing her golden hair. "I get move on my own and it hurts less than before."

She seemed happy to know that he was getting better.

"I cannot wait until I can walk around," Chad stated, glaring at his bandaged leg. "Three more days and these damn stitches will be removed."

"You'll still be on bed rest," she pointed out. "Your ribs are still healing."

"But that doesn't mean that I won't be allowed to walk at all?" he asked, dreaded at the thought of being stuck in the bed for more time.

"We'll see."

"What do you mean?"

She turned around to face him, amusement swirling in her eyes. "I mean that we'll ask the healer what she thinks and then we will do whatever she says."

"But she will _never_ let me move!" Chad grumbled.

"Then you will not move, milord." Alianna said. "I'm sorry, but I just want you to recover completely."

Chad sighed, irritated. "I hate not moving. I hate not working. I hate everything!"

"You are working," Alianna pointed to the papers in his hands, "Queen Lucy sent you these papers this morning."

"Thank goodness she did," he said. "I would have gone mad without it."

Alianna shook her head but did not say anything. She did not approve of Lucy discussing the matters of work with him. She thought that it all disturbed him when he needed to rest.

Chad knew that Alianna cared for him and she was concerned. She didn't want him to strain himself and that is why she made sure that he was always comfortable and that everything he needed was within reach.

But he also knew that Lucy was letting him participate in the work because she knew him too well, because she knew that Chad would totally hate not having anything to do.

_Funny, how both of them have different ways of helping me, _Chad noted. "So, we never got to talk," he said a few moments later, "How did the dinner with your father and brother go last night?"

"Fine," she mumbled.

He frowned. "You've been awfully quiet ever since you returned."

"I'm always quiet."

"That is true," he agreed. "I didn't have much fun either."

"Really?" she asked as she moved to sit before him on the edge of the bed.

He nodded. "Dinner seemed dull without you." He told her. "It seems to me that I've gotten… accustomed to your presence, milady."

She did not say anything but he got the feeling that she didn't believe him.

"Really, Alianna," he went on, reaching out and placing his hand on her cheek as he pulled her face closer to his, "I like having you in my life and I always want you to be here with me."

"I will be," she murmured. "I vowed to be, didn't I?"

"You did. So did I." His green eyes stared at her beautiful face intently, taking in the features. "It is not the same not seeing your deep eyes for a day."

She smiled slightly as his fingers caressed his cheeks.

"Or see you blush over the silliest things in the world."

She blushed, clearly shy now.

"Or hear your soft voice."

His fingers moved lower to her soft lips. She gasped lightly, her lips parting beneath his fingers.

"Or see your pretty lips." He murmured, leaning forward a little.

"Ummm," she mumbled nervously as her eyes moved away from his. "Did you like the flowers I put in the room? Kayla picked them for me, which was very sweet –"

"You seem like you're rambling," he noted.

"No, no," she said quickly, "I'm not. _Why_ would I? I just like the flowers. And Kayla picked them. I thanked her. I think I should thank her again because they are so –"

"Alianna," he whispered, his face inches from hers now. "Shut up. I'm going to kiss you no matter how much you ramble."

She blinked and looked at him in surprise. "M-Milord?"

With her face in his hands, he leaned forward and placed his lips on hers, kissing her gently. Slowly, he felt her shock and shyness ebb as she kissed him back.

He pulled away a few short moments later, his fingers caressing her soft, pink cheeks and his eyes fixed on her face.

She opened her eyes that seemed like a mystery to him at the moment. They were full of emotions; some he figured - confusion, contentment, shock - others, he didn't.

They remained locked in each others gaze for a minute or two, and then she looked away.

"I... I-I'll get your lunch," she managed to say breathlessly.

"Alright," he said, letting go of her face.

Nodding, she quickly got up and rushed out of the room - but not before Chad noticed a small, barely noticeable smile forming on her lips.

**[][][][][][][][][]**

Kayla was sitting on the terrace. A book was open on her lap, but it wasn't the center of her focus. The sun was warm on her skin and she was mostly trying to relax and get her mind off of everything.

She was close to falling asleep in her comfortable chair when she heard the clatter of hoofbeats and carriage wheels on the road below her.

Kayla stood up and walked over to the railing and looked down to see who was approaching the mansion. As soon as she recognized the red and gold lion flag, she immediately rushed to meet the party.

She reached the entrance hall just as a young girl with curly brown hair stepped out of the carriage. she was young, about eight years old, and carried one suitcase in her left hand and held a small bear tightly to her chest with her other.

"Hello, you must be Hadiya," Kayla greeted the young girl as she approached. "I'm-"

"Lady Kayla," the young girl cut her off as she turned to stare at her. "I know who you are. I saw you at Lord Chad's wedding."

Kayla was surprised by the intelligence that shone through the young girl's eyes. Something had obviously happened to this girl at a young age to make her grow up much quicker than others her age. Moreover, her bright green eyes reminded Kayla of her brother.

After a moment, Kayla realized that Hadiya was waiting for her to say something. Her mouth opened and closed a few times, but she wasn't sure what to say. "... Right. Well, welcome to Daelhr, Hadiya," she smiled.

"Where is my brother?"

"He has gone to tour the city with Lucy," Kayla replied. "He'll be back soon."

Hadiya nodded, her brown curls bouncing up and down.

"You must be hungry," Kayla said, "Would you like to join me for lunch?"

"Of course, Lady Kayla."

The girls went up to the terrace where a servant had set up a lunch of sandwiches, peanut butter and jelly for Hadiya and a house salad for Kayla.

Once they were settled, an uncomfortable silence came over them.

_I should say something to her... But what? I don't know what she likes though..._

"So Hadiya, how old are you?" Kayla suddenly asked, startling the young girl.

"I'm eight," Hadiya replied shyly, feeling more than a little out of place.

Kayla's heart reached out to the young girl, knowing herself how it felt to go from being surrounded by all of your friends one minute, to feeling all alone the next just because someone else made a decision for her.

"So, you're around the same age as Princess Irene, do you play with her or any of the other princes or princesses back in Cair Paravel?"

Hadiya seemed to brighten up for a second when asked about her friends, but she quickly deflated when remembering that they weren't here with her.

"Yes," she mumbled. "I play with Princess Irene often when her cousins and brother annoy her. She's my best friend."

"That's nice," Kayla smiled. "What do you two do?"

"When we're not avoiding the other princes and princesses?" Hadiya asked with a little smile, to which Kayla nodded in encouragement. "We avoid the other princes and princesses."

Kayla laughed at that, making Hadiya giggle too.

"Do you two do anything _other _than avoid her family?" Kayla asked with a smile.

Hadiya pretended to think about it for a moment before laughing. "Yes. Princess Irene loves to play with dolls, and play hide-n-seek with her cousins. Occasionally, we'll go play out by the waterfall or in the town, but she always has to have her bodyguards with her and they normally stop us if we start having too much fun," she smiled.

"Do you two ever do anything _you_ like to do?" Kayla asked curiously.

"What?" Hadiya asked, confused.

"I just meant that everything you just said that you did were things that _Irene_ likes to do," Kayla explained.

"I never thought about it that way before," Hadiya considered the new view for a moment before shaking it off with a little roll of her shoulders. "But it doesn't matter. Princess Irene is a really good friend! She honestly cares about everyone and we have a ton of fun playing together!"

"What do you do when you're not playing with Irene then?" Kayla asked with a smile.

"Well... Normally the only time I'm not with Irene or my brother, or sleeping, I'll be playing with Mrs. Edwards' kids. I guess I've always been just too busy playing with other kids to find out anything I like to do by myself, I guess," she shrugged.

"Well, we'll have to find something for you to enjoy," Kayla smiled. "Possibly puzzles, or needlework?" Kayla stopped to laugh as Hadiya scrunched her nose up with a frown at the mention of needlework. "Or no needlework," she said with a laugh and Hadiya's face returned to its happy smile. "I don't know, what would you like to maybe try?"

Hadiya's eyes looked around the terrace for _something _that might inspire her, when her eyes fell on the book Kayla had left open on her lounge chair when she had rushed downstairs to meet Hadiya.

"Well," she started with a small blush, "I've never learned how to read and the queens always seem to like doing that when they're alone," she said as she let her messy curls fall into her face to hide her blush of embarrassment.

"Susan, Adeline, and Isabel do love doing that, don't they?" Lucy asked with a smile as she walked out onto the terrace. "Do you girls mind if I join you? I've been working all morning and heard Hadiya's carriage arrive and thought I might take a break and join the two of you for lunch."

"It's fine with me if you joined," Kayla said. "How about you Hadiya?"

"Oh, I love Queen Lucy!" Hadiya smiled. "We have lots of private jokes," she added with a mischievous smile.

"And they're called 'private' because we don't tell anyone else about them, _right_?" Lucy asked with a smile as she joined them at the table.

"Of course," Hadiya agreed with a wide smile. Kayla smiled as she saw the young girl grow more and more relaxed in her new setting.

"But what were the two of you talking about before I came out?" Lucy asked after asking a servant if he wouldn't mind getting her a lemon water and a honey-roasted ham sandwich. "All I heard was Hadiya say something about the queens reading."

"We were just talking about needing to find Hadiya a private hobby."

"And I was just saying how I've never learned how to read and I've seen that's something you and the other queens like to do a lot when you're not talking or are alone," Hadiya finished.

"Well, that is true," Lucy agreed with a smile. "We do love to read, and I'm in the middle of a great book, but I often find myself painting more than reading."

"Really?" Hadiya asked in curiosity.

"Yep," Lucy smiled, "And I'd love to teach you how to read, but I'm afraid that I don't have the time right now. Maybe Kayla could teach you how to read and write and I could maybe teach you a bit about painting and drawing in some of my free time?"

"Really?" Hadiya asked in disbelief. "Would you really do that for me?"

"I'd love to teach you how to read and write," Kayla said with a smile.

"And learning the techniques behind painting is really easy to learn," Lucy smiled. "The hard part is finding out what the canvas wants painted on it. Not very many people are able to do that and try to make the canvas bend to their will instead of the other way around..." Lucy paused to laugh at Kayla's and Hadiya's identical looks of confusion. "Never mind, you'll see what I mean when I teach you."

"I look forward to it Queen Lucy. Thank you."

Lucy just smiled and nodded as she bit into her sandwich. Kayla and Hadiya followed her example and the three finished their meal in a peaceful silence. Hadiya finished first and started bouncing in her chair in mixed boredom and excitement.

Lucy finished next and had to excuse herself. She had to go talk to Chad about something. Kayla smiled in amusement as she saw the young girl start to fidget a lot with the fabric of her skirt. Part of her was tempted to eat slower just to agitate her, but decided against it and finished up her salad.

Once they spent some time sitting in silence, Kayla saw what time it was and realized that Harry would probably be getting back to Ardross soon.

"Hey, Hadiya, do you maybe want to take your things up to the room you'll be staying in now?" Kayla asked. "If we do it now, we _should _be finishing up getting you settled around the same time your brother is supposed to get back and you can see him."

"I'd like that," Hadiya said as she grabbed her few belongings and followed KAyla back into the mansion.

**[][][][][][][][][][]**

Harry slumped on his bed, not even bothering to take off his shoes, exhausted. He had spent half the day following Philip and making sure that he did not get into another fight on Lucy's orders. Of course, he had been spying too, but the man didn't know that. So far, he had found nothing.

Whatever Philip was cooking with his father was still a secret, a very well-hidden secret, and Harry could think of no way to uncover it.

But that was not his biggest worry at the moment. He was so tired, his muscles ached and he just wanted to go to sleep. After tying his horse in the stables, he had rushed to his room, not even stopping to ask why a new carriage was parked outside the mansion.

_It couldn't be any of the monarchs,_ he thought as he closed his eyes, or maybe it is Hadiya... _she had to come today, right?_

A moment of silence passed.

Another.

Another.

And Harry sprang up, wide awake. Walking out of his room, he wondered where he would find his little sister.

His mind running, he turned around the corner and found himself face to face with a startled young woman. **(A/N: Link to the picture in profile)**

"I'm sorry," Harry said, taking a step back.

"No harm done," she said in a sweet voice.

He had seen her before. She was one of the maids working in the mansion. Maybe she could tell him where Hadiya was.

"Excuse me..." he began and then trailed off, realizing that he didn't know her name.

"Chloe," she supplied.

"Right, Chloe," he smiled. "Could you tell me if a little girl arrived here from Cair today?"

Chloe nodded. "She did. Hadiya, right?"

"Yes," Harry said. "She is my sister."

"Aww, she is very sweet."

Harry nodded in agreement. "Could you tell me where she is?"

"Of course," Chloe said, "Her room is adjacent to Lady Kayla's chambers."

"Lady Kayla?" Harry asked, confused. _Why is Hadiya staying next to Kayla?_ But then he shook his head. It didn't matter. "Where are her chambers?"

"In the upper left wing of Ardross."

Harry nodded. "Right. Of course. Okay."

Chloe looked at him for a second, her dark brown eyes filled with amusement. "You have no idea where the rooms are, right?"

"Not a clue!"

She laughed. "I can take you there."

"That would be great." he said as he started following her down the hallway. "I'm Harry, by the way."

"Nice to meet you, Harry."

"Yeah." he paused. "I hope it is not any trouble, guiding me all the way to... wherever we are going."

Chloe laughed. "It's alright. I was heading there anyway. Chores." She told him. "Besides, you would have probably gotten lost."

"True," he agreed as they started up the stairs. "And then the search parties would have found me strutting around the hallway looking for the right room. You're saving me from a lot of humiliation, Chloe, so thank you."

"You're welcome." she paused, "You're here with Queen Lucy, right?"

"I'm her personal guard."

"And were you the one who found Lord Chad after he was attacked?"

"Yes."

"You saved his life," she sounded impressed.

"I didn't do anything. Just my duty."

"You're just being modest," she said as she tucked a red lock behind her ear. "What you did was very brave."

"Thanks," he mumbled.

She stopped and turned to face him, her lips curved into a smile. "There," she said pointing, "That is Hadiya's room. And you don't have to thank me."

He chuckled, glancing at the room she was pointing towards. Just then, Lady Kayla walked out of the adjacent door, absently braiding her hair. She stopped in her tracks, looking questioningly at them.

"I guess I better go back to work," Chloe murmured to him as she curtsied before Kayla.

"Alright," Harry said, looking at her, a smile on his face. "I'll see you soon."

"Sure," she said before walking away.

He turned back and inclined his head. "Lady Kayla," he greeted.

"Harry," she said coldly, walking upto him. "You're fast."

He blinked, puzzled. "I beg your pardon?"

"Nevermind," she said. "I'd prefer if you don't distract my working staff from their duties."

"She was just showing me the way. I've never been to this part of the mansion before."

"Right," she scoffed as she moved to walk away. "Well, now you know."

"Lady Kayla," Harry said as he blocked her way, remembering their last encounter. "I wanted to apologize for what I did. It was wrong and I did not mean to do that. Please forgive me."

She glared at him. "Like I said, you are so lucky that Chad doesn't know what you did. He would have torn you into shreds."

"I'm sure he would have," Harry hung his head.

"And I would have watched." Kayla paused. "Anyways, it's alright. Just remember your limits next time."

"Yes, milady."

"Aren't you going to meet Hadiya?" she asked after a moment. "She has been dying to see you."

Harry smiled, looking up at her. "Me too."

"The girl gets bored so easily."

Harry laughed. "I know."

"I like her."

"Milady, if I may," Harry began, "Can I have Hadiya living close to my room, where I can easily see her whenever I want?"

"No one is going to stop you from coming here." she stated.

"Yes, but she is my sister and her room is so far away -"

"Hadiya is _my _guest here," Kayla told him.

He blinked. "She _is_?"

She nodded, a small smile on her face. "And we have lots of stuff planned. So, I'd like to keep her close to me for my convenience."

"... Of course?" he was confused beyond imagining now.

"Good." Kayla said as she turned away. "Have a good day, Harry."

"You too, milady," he called out before moving towards Hadiya's chambers.

Hadiya and Kayla had stuff planned?

And Hadiya was Kayla's guest?

_Where the hell is this world going?_

**[][][][][][][][][]**

"You're not listening to me!" Lucy said frustratedly as she tied her hair into a messy bun.

"I am!" Chad retorted, just as frustrated as her. "I heard you the first _ten _times. But I just think that you're overthinking all this."

"_Overthinking_?" Lucy asked incredulously. "Those men tried to kill you, or have you forgotten that attack?"

"I've been lying on this damn bed, writhing in pain for the last two weeks. I think I would not forget that so easily."

"Then why are you not listening to me?"

"I am," he repeated with a sigh. "Look, it was Talan. He tried to have me killed and we can deal with him. The men are looking for evidence, right?"

"They are, but I don't think it was him." she said. "Talan says that it was not him."

Chad snorted. "And we're going to trust him?"

"No! I just... Look Chad," Lucy said, sitting down next to him. "They tried to kill you. That is _huge_, alright? I just don't think that Talan would want you dead just because you're not raising his income."

"You don't know the man," he said. "I do. I've been trying to talk to him for months. He is obnoxiously smart and crazy."

"Exactly! Being the smart man he is, he would know how easily he would lose the support of all the labour if anyone found out that he tried to get you killed."

"But I wasn't supposed to survive and neither were my guards, which they didn't," Chad pointed out, "There were no witnesses and the assassins were his relatives. It was planned out really well."

"_Or_ it was a plot to hide something."

"Like what?"

"Maybe someone is using Talan's name," Lucy said. "Maybe they want you to think that, keep you off-track, while they carry out their plans."

"What plans?" he asked, "And who would want to do that?"

She was silent, just staring at him.

His green eyes met her brown ones. "Look Lucy, if you know something then tell me," he said. "Stop dropping hints."

"You wouldn't believe me."

"Try me."

She opened her mouth and closed it again. "It's just a feeling... an instinct," she finally said after a few moments. "Things are not as simple as they seem."

"I cannot act upon your gut feelings."

"I know you can't, but you can at least trust me."

"I've every reason to trust you," he muttered, looking away.

His silly taunts hurt, but she had learned to ignore them by now. "I don't want you dead, Chad," she said quietly, "And I want to help you, so let me."

"_Fine_," he sounded exasperated. "Fine, help me. If you think that someone other than Talan wants me dead then give me some evidence."

"I'm working on it."

"Good," he said, staring at the dark circles that were beginning to form beneath her eyes. "Are you getting any sleep?"

She blinked. "What?"

"I know you're handling everything alone because of me," he said. "But I don't want you to overdo anything. Get some rest, take a break now and then."

She chuckled. "You never listened to any of us when we used to tell you that."

"Well, that is me," he said. "And this is you. We've different ways of working and you'll probably get sick if you stay up another night."

Lucy tilted her head, her eyes on the man she loved so dearly, and raised an eyebrow. "Is that concern I hear, Chad?"

He smiled, though there was no happiness in it. "_Why_ in the world should I be concerned about you, Lucy?" he asked, his green eyes piercing her brown ones.

The two remained silent for a minute or two and then she stood up and walked towards the door. "Oh and Chad, I just wanted to let you know that," Lucy turned. "As a queen of Narnia, I will not have anyone going around their town, bashing men just because he thinks they attacked someone. What Philip did to Talan was wrong and you know that."

"You're right." he rested his head back with a sigh, "I'll talk to him."

"Get some rest."

And with that, Lucy walked out, massaging her temple with her fingers. It had been a long day, covering up Philip's mess, handling the matters of the city and having discussions with Chad.

_I'm glad that it is over,_ she thought as she made her way back to her room.

And then she stopped.

She had heard some voices in the lounge area. Slowly, the Valiant Queen moved towards the door and peeked through the crack of the door.

Alianna was standing by the fireplace, talking to her brother.

Curious, Lucy inched forward so she could hear what they were saying.

"... I don't like it, Alianna. I've said it before and I'm saying it again: I do not like your attitude," Philip was saying, his voice deadly calm as he glared at her sister, "And I want you to change it."

"Lord Chad must be waiting for me," she mumbled in a barely audible voice.

"_Lord Chad_ can rot in that damn bed for all I care!" Philip whispered harshly. "You listen to me. I heard what you were trying to say to father yesterday in those limited words of yours and I do not like where you're going."

Alianna lowered her eyes, staring at the floor, but did not say anything.

"Say something!" he ordered, gripping her arm and pulling her a bit closer. "That thing in your mouth is called a tongue. You should use it when I ask you to speak."

Alianna pulled her arm away but did not say anything.

"Sympathy or understanding is not something we want you to feel." He said through gritted teeth. "You know why we're doing this. You know what will happen next. And you _will _stick to it. Is that clear?"

Slowly, the Lady of Daelhr looked at her brother and nodded.

"Good." Philip said. "We already have enough problems at hand. You shouldn't become one of them."

Again, Alianna nodded. And then she started towards the door.

Quickly, Lucy turned around and sprinted down the hallway, her mind running just like her.

_What is going to happen next? What was Alianna trying to say to Demetrius? What was their plan? Why was Philip unhappy with Alianna?_

She entered her room and shut the door.

She needed to find some answers... and fast. _But how?_

Sighing, Lucy dropped down on her bed when she noticed an envelope with her name on the bedside table. It took her a moment to realize that the writing belonged to Susan.

She pulled out the short letter.

_Lucy,_

_Everything is wrong. Everything. Caleb and Estella have been kidnapped. The children had gone to the falls but some men slaughtered the guards and took them away. Irene ran back to inform us._

_We do not know who did it. Caspian and Edmund took a search party but they haven't returned yet._

_My son! He is just a little boy. And Estella too, she is so young. What if they harm them? Adeline is freaking out. And so am I. Our children, Lucy! We want them back. Caspian says that they will find them, but the truth is that if Caspian and Edmund don't find the kids, then we don't have any leads. Who could have kidnapped them?_

_I wish you were here._

_Susan._

Lucy didn't even notice when the paper slipped from her hands and fell to the floor. The words she had just read had shocked her to the core.

She wished she was at the Cair, with her brothers and sister, trying to help in any way she could. But going back meant leaving Chad alone and she couldn't do that...

_What do I do now?_

* * *

><p><strong>Hey! Its Ennarre... I'll keep this really short.<strong>

**Now, I wanted to thank all the reviewers - you all rock! :D**

**And candy31: Interesting questions! I haven't really thought about that Chad/Lucy queen-and-lady situation. I'm sure I would have figured something out, but seeing that they did not get married, we don't have to worry about it! :P Second, Cair is gigantic. I think all those families have their huge wings of the palace, but I don't see them living separately. Whether for work or personal relations, all the monarchs are pretty close... Lastly, I haven't thought about the heir thing too. But for now I think Irene is the heir to Peter's throne because she is the older one.**

**That's it.**

**We have no idea when we will be updating next, but until then, take care and...**

**REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW**

**VVVVV  
>VVV<br>V**


	18. Chapter 18

**Hey!**

**We know. We know you want to kill us for not updating for sooooo long. And you all are right. But hear us out: **

**Firstly, we both had our finals - that lasted till mid-May and they were kinda important so we couldn't write. **

**Then the vacations started and I (Ennarre) returned back to my country to visit my family from college... I was seeing them after a year and well, i got busy. **

**We've been working on this chapter for a month now but it is extremely difficult to coordinate with each other because we're both in different continents (America and Asia, by the way) and we've got a bloody 10 hour time difference that annoys the crap out of us!**

**We thought of posting up an authors note, but putting up an update saying 'we weren't able to write, sorry, but we will update soon' would have been just cruel so we didn't do it.**

**We're very very VERY sorry for not updating and we thank you all for sticking to this story after all that. We really do appreciate it :)**

**Here is the next chapter... read, enjoy and review! Please?**

**Disclaimer: Narnia not ours, dude!**

* * *

><p><strong>.<strong>

**Desires and Destiny**

**Chapter 18**

**.**

Lucy walked towards Chad's chambers, papers in one hand. She needed him to go through the trade agreements and sign them.

She had thought about it for a long time, but in the end, she had decided to stay in Daelhr. Going to Cair now wouldn't do much good; the other monarchs were already looking for Caleb and Estella. Lucy needed to stay here and figure out Demetrius' plans… and also if he was behind the kidnapping or not. She wrote to Peter about her decision, and he agreed.

The Valiant Queen was about to knock on the door of Chad's chambers when it opened and she found herself face to face with a startled Alianna.

"My Queen!" she exclaimed. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Lucy said, stepping back. "You seemed to be in a hurry."

"I was just… going to see Philip."

"Well, I'm here to see Chad," Lucy told her. "I want him to sign these papers."

"He can't," Alianna said, opening the door, "He is sleeping and I would like it if you didn't wake him up, my queen."

Lucy glanced inside and hid a smile. Sure enough, Chad lay on the bed, fast asleep. He always looked like a little child in his sleep. "He should rest."

Alianna hesitated. "Actually, I… wanted to talk to you about that." A small pause. "I think you should not send him so many documents and have so many discussions with him."

Lucy raised an eyebrow. _Is Alianna telling me to stop speaking with Chad?_ "And why is that?" she asked.

"You were there when the healer told him to rest."

"I know," Lucy said, "The only reason I volunteered to run the city is so that Chad could rest and get better."

"But he _is_ working. He spends most of his time discussing matters with you or reading the papers you give him."

"He is the governor of Daelhr and he has a right to know and decide what goes on in the city. That is why I consult matters with him while trying to keep the work burden on him to a minimum."

"You know Lord Chad, my queen. He takes it too seriously." Alianna said with a sigh, "He was up half the night working."

Lucy was quiet for a second. "I'll talk to him."

"Don't."

"Why not?"

"Because then he will be angry at me."

"And if you don't let him work at all, he will be angry at everyone," Lucy stated. "It has been more than two weeks and he has been stuck in bed. What do you expect him to do all day, stare at the ceiling?"

"I just… want him to get better."

"And I don't?"

Alianna stared at her. "Of course you do, my Queen. I didn't mean to offend you," she spoke slowly. "I know you care for him and that is why I'm –"

"I get it." Lucy snapped. "I'll talk to Chad and don't worry, he will not be angry with you."

"Thank you."

Lucy nodded. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"You…" Lucy trailed off, unsure. "You know what, never mind."

Alianna looked confused but Lucy didn't wait for her to say anything. She turned and walked away.

She had meant to ask Alianna about her argument with Philip – ask in an innocent way, of course. But somehow, that didn't seem like the right thing to do. She wanted to gain Philip's and Demetrius' trust, not make them suspicious of her... and asking Alianna would do just that.

**[][][][][][][][]**

It was late afternoon and Chad was sitting on the couch, reading a few papers. The stitches had been removed from his leg a day ago, and so far he had been able to stand up and limp all the way over to the couch, which wasn't much, but it was a change and he was glad.

His mind, however, was on many things: Work, Estella and Caleb, Lucy, Alianna and the damn pain in his wounds.

He glanced at his wife, who was sitting quietly on the bed, playing with a lock of her hair. Her eyes were unfocused and she seemed to be deep in thought… somewhere far away from here. He could tell that Alianna was troubled because of something but whenever he asked her, she denied it. And he didn't like seeing her like this.

He leaned back, grimacing as his wounds ached. Taking a deep breath, he decided to resume reading. That was when he noticed Alianna was staring at him, her lips pursed tightly and large amounts of disapproval in her eyes. She had probably seen his discomfort as he moved.

"Don't look at me like that," he said, rolling his eyes.

"Like what, milord?"

"Like you are going to give me a long lecture about my attitude."

"I'm not," she said. "It's pointless anyway."

"And what is that supposed to mean?"

"You don't listen to me," she said, flicking back her hair. "So I'm not going to say anything anymore."

Chad chuckled. "Am I making you angry?"

"No."

"Oh really?" he asked, waving the papers in his hands. "And _this_ doesn't bother you?"

"… No."

"You're a bad liar," he grinned. A pause. "Thank you."

She frowned. "For what?"

"For being so stern," he said. "It shows that you care."

"It is my duty, milord," she said in a soft voice.

"Asking me if I needed anything every now and then was," he agreed, "But staying up all those nights just to make sure if I was comfortable enough was not your duty, Alianna… And neither was arguing with Lucy about my well-being."

She looked up at him, surprised. "You were sleeping."

He had been. But then Alianna's and Lucy's voices woke him up and he pretended that he was sleeping, listening to them as they argued over him. "Apparently, I wasn't."

Alianna did not say anything.

"Lucy is not overburdening me; It is I who likes to work all the time," he told her. "You shouldn't argue with her."

"I was just –"

"She means well, Alianna."

"I know," Alianna bit her lip before continuing in a small voice. "She doesn't like me, though."

So, Alianna had noticed Lucy's cold behavior. He had wondered at times if Alianna even noticed how unfriendly Lucy could be towards her. But considering how their lives were intertwined, he couldn't bring himself to blame Lucy for it… nor did he think that Alianna was to blame. Him, yes. Them, no. He had not handled things the best way – but considering the circumstances, he had done the best he could; he had broken up with Lucy and had proposed to Alianna…

Chad sighed. "I'm sure that's not true."

Alianna looked like she didn't believe him. "I think… I think I offended her."

He shut his eyes. This was something he didn't want to talk about, but knew he had to. "You're the one who broached the topic," he said. "You shouldn't have done that."

Realization flickered across her face.

"Lucy and I, we have a past in which we were together," Chad said slowly, unsure if he himself wanted to talk about the things he had locked deep within himself. "You know about that... Things didn't work out the way we wanted, but we have this strange bond – like a tension – and we want to get rid of it, but can't. Or... at least I can't."

"You cannot forget her," Alianna murmured.

He could have sworn he heard hurt in her voice. "It's not about whether or not I can forget her," he said honestly. "It's about whether or not I want think about those memories. I don't. And I doubt Lucy wants to either. You have to understand that we're both trying to move on and it's not as easy as it sounds."

Waiting long enough to see Alianna nod, Chad returned to his papers. He didn't want to continue this discussion.

**[][][][][][][][]**

Chad placed the papers on the table before him. He was done reading. Now all he had to do was meet Lucy in an hour to discuss some work.

He smiled. He had insisted that they meet in his study. He missed his refuge so much, and now that he could walk again – painfully, with a limp – he was going to use his legs and get out of this damn room. He was tired of seeing the same walls and the same ceiling and the same everything!

Lucy, of course, had objected but he had been persistent and in the end, she grudgingly agreed.

Rubbing the back of his neck, he looked up at his wife. She had not moved at all in the last hour. She was staring at the wall blankly, her hands in her lap, mind far away. But the more closely he observed her, the more he realized that she seemed _scared_. Her skin was paler than usual, her lower lip trembled every once in a while and her hands were fisted so tight that the knuckles had turned white.

Chad frowned as he got up and limped over to her. "Alianna?" he asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.

She started in surprise. "Y-Yes?" she asked, relaxing once she realized that it was him.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes."

He narrowed his eyes. "What were you thinking about?"

"It's nothing, milord," she spoke. "I'm fine."

"No you're not," he said. "I noticed how uncomfortable you've been over the last few days, especially since you heard about Caleb's and Estella's kidnapping."

Alianna bit her lip.

He looked at her closely. "Do you know something that I should know?"

Her eyes widened. "N-No."

"Then what is it, Anna?"

"I just… cannot believe that they have been kidnapped," she said. "They're just little kids. I can only imagine the state they're in."

"I know," Chad sighed. "I'm worried about them too. I've known them since they were born and they're the sweetest kids I've ever known."

"I just hope the Kings and Queens find them soon."

He gave her a small smile. "I'm sure they will." He said. "I know the Kings well, and they won't rest until they find their kids and punish their kidnapper."

Alianna nodded, her eyes moving down to their intertwined fingers. "You called me _Anna_." she stated after a short while.

"Your name can be too long at times," he told her. "I'd like to call you Anna on occasion, if you don't mind."

"I don't." A beautiful smile lit her face.

**[][][][][][][][]**

"Ok Hadiya," Kayla started. "Let's continue where we left off in the old story of how the White Witch was conquered. Now where did we leave off?"

Kayla was sitting on one of the cushioned chairs in the library while Hadiya—no matter how many times Kayla had asked her to sit up—was lying on her stomach on the ground in front of the chair, her chin propped up on her hands as her legs kicked lazily in the air. They were in the library as Kayla taught Hadiya some history, specifically of the start of the Golden Age when the Kings and Queens first came to Narnia.

Chloe—much to Kayla's annoyance—was also in the library, dusting the bookshelves while secretly listening in to Hadiya's lesson.

"We left off when the Kings and Queens were in the Beaver's den," Hadiya said cheerfully. On the inside, she was bored with the history lessons, but externally she faked cheerfulness to please Kayla.

"That's right!" Kayla said happily, quickly finding the place where she had left off. "Let's see... Ah! Here we are! '_None of the children knew who Aslan was any more than you do; but the moment the Beaver had spoken these words everyone felt quite different. Perhaps it has sometimes happened to you in a dream that someone says something which you don't understand but in the dream it feels as if it had some enormous meaning—either a terrifying one which turns the whole dream into a nightmare or else a lovely meaning too lovely to put into words, which makes the dream so beautiful that you remember it all your life and are always wishing you could get into that dream again. It was like that now. At the name of Aslan each one of the children felt something jump in it's inside. Edmund felt a sensation of mysterious horror. Peter felt suddenly brave and adventurous. Susan felt as if some delicious smell or some delightful strain of music had just floated by her. And Lucy got the feeling you have when you wake up in the morning and realize that it is the beginning of the holidays or the beginning of Summer._'"

"I love that part."

Kayla and Hadiya looked up at the sound of the male voice and saw Harry leaning against the frame of the door.

"H-arry," Hadiya whined teasingly. "Shh," she motioned with her finger to her lips for him to be silent as she turned her attention back to Kayla.

Harry gave Kayla a small smile in apology before he spotted Chloe and walked over to her.

Swallowing the jealousy that was starting to build up, Kayla turned away from them and noticed that she had dropped her book in her lap. Picking it up, she realized that the page must have turned, but she continued as if she hadn't missed the few pages.

"_"Aslan?" said Mr. Beaver. "Why, don't you know? He's the King. He's the Lord of the whole wood, but not often here, you understand. Never in my time or my father's time. But the word has reached us that he has come back. He is in Narnia at this moment. He'll settle the White Queen all right. It is he, not you, that will save Mr. Tumnus."_

_"Is—is he a man?" asked Lucy._

_"Aslan a man!" Mr. Beaver said sternly. "Certainly not. I tell you he is the King of the wood and the son of the great Emperor-Beyond-the-Sea. Don't you know who is the King of Beasts? Aslan is a lion—the Lion, the great Lion."_

_"Ooh!" said Susan, "I'd thought he was a man. Is he—quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion."_

_"That you will, dearie, and no mistake," said Mrs. Beaver; "if there's anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they're either braver than most or else just silly."_"

Kayla was finding it was becoming increasingly difficult to focus as Harry and Chloe started giggling in the corner. Refusing to let the jealousy get to her, Kayla rolled her eyes and settled into her chair, bracing herself for the long lesson.

**[][][][][][][][]**

"Am I late?" Chad asked as he walked into his study. He had had it unlocked and told the servants to allow Lucy in for the meeting.

"Only twenty minutes," Lucy told him, her eyes on some sheets before her. "What happened?"

"I…" he trailed off, running a hand through his hair sheepishly, "got held up."

She looked up at him and frowned. "What?"

"Never mind," he said as he took his seat. It felt good to be back in his chair after a couple of weeks. At Lucy's raised eyebrows, he rolled his eyes and explained, "I took a long time roaming around the mansion."

"Take it easy, Chad," Lucy said, shaking her head, but he could see a small, amused smile on her face.

"Anyways, I signed the papers you sent through that maid." A chuckle. "I didn't know that Alianna could scare you off so easily."

Her eyes narrowed. "Excuse me?"

"I mean, I wouldn't even call what you two had a _proper_ argument, Lucy," Chad teased, a grin plastered over his face.

Lucy raised an eyebrow. Lucy didn't know what surprised her more: the good mood Chad was in, the fact that Chad was teasing her, or that he had heard her little talk with Alianna.

"It's not that hard to pretend to be asleep," he went on.

"First, _pretending_ was a stupid thing to do," Lucy said, sounding both amused and irritated at the same time. "Second, I can barge into your chambers whenever I want. Neither you nor your wife can stop me."

"Is that so?"

"Try me," Lucy stared at him evenly. "And third, Alianna had a point. The only reason I was consulting you because you wanted it and you promised that –"

"Save the lecture, Lucy," Chad said, holding up a hand. "I'm fine now and I can work a bit. I'll go insane if I don't, and you know that."

She narrowed her chocolate eyes. "Let's just make sure that your _a bit_ is actually a _bit_ in measurement."

"Alright," he agreed, and took a deep breath. "So, how are things going with Talan?"

Lucy pursed her lips. "Well, thanks to Philip, the labor now thinks that you are a stuck up, snobby governor who thinks that the poor people have no respect – which is why you falsely accuse them of attacking you and then have them beaten by your best friend."

"I talked to Philip and I told him to control his actions," Chad said.

"The harm is already done," Lucy said. "I think you will have to talk to the labor eventually."

He grimaced. "I will, but I won't be so nice to them now."

"That will only prove them right."

"Talan almost had me killed!"

"I told you. I doubt that some people would have the guts to attack you just because of the issue going on," Lucy began, "I think it was planned."

"But the issues were pretty serious and –"

"What if these issues were just a way to cover up an assassination attempt on you?"

Chad looked at the wall, his mind processing her words. "You think that there is some sort of mastermind behind the troubles I am facing?"

"Exactly," Lucy nodded, "And it had to –"

Knock. Knock.

"Come in," Chad called.

A young maid walked in and bowed. She handed a small folded parchment to Lucy. "Your guard, Harry wanted me to give you this."

Once the maid was gone, Lucy unfolded the note and started reading.

"We're working," Chad reminded her, irritated. _Who the hell Harry thinks he is, disturbing us in the middle of a meeting like this?_

"I know, I'm sorry," Lucy said, standing up. "But I'm afraid I have to go."

"Is everything alright?"

"Yes. I just need to speak to Harry."

"What?" Chad asked incredulously. "We are working and you want to go see him now?"

"This is important."

"You can have your little romance later on," Chad said, anger seeping into his voice. "You are supposed to be working with me right now."

"You were late too!" Lucy pointed out, and he could tell that she was getting angry too.

"Yeah well, I'm here now."

"And_ I_ have to go now," She stopped and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Look, I don't want to fight. But I really have to go. How about we meet here tomorrow morning and work in peace?"

"As you wish, your majesty." Sarcasm dripped from his words.

Shaking her head, Lucy walked out of the room, leaving him alone. He slumped back in his chair, deep in thought.

_Why did Lucy act like this? Why the hell did she have to go and see Harry? And why did he, Chad, even care?_

He didn't. But they had promised to work and Lucy had walked away from the damn promise because of Harry.

_This isn't the first promise she had broken because of Harry,_ a nasty voice in his mind supplied.

He rested his head against the table and closed his eyes.

He so did not want to think about all of that again. He was tired. And he was done. He was done thinking and worrying and getting angry at how Lucy broke his heart. It was all in the past and it didn't matter anymore.

He had a beautiful, gorgeous wife who cared for him and who was amazing. And he liked her.

And that was all that mattered now.

The whirlwind of thoughts surrounded him for a while and soon, everything turned dark.

And peaceful.

And quiet.

And he liked it.

Something caressed his hair.

And then a soft voice called out his name.

He sighed, content with wherever he was.

The voice called to him again, this time more clear.

And he frowned, slowly opening his eyes in confusion, only to realize that he was still in his study. He must have fallen asleep. He bolted upright and turned to see Alianna standing next to him. She had been trying to wake him up.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." she said.

"You didn't," he replied. "What happened?"

"I don't know," she replied. "I was worried when you didn't return from your meeting…"

He nodded. She had been sleeping and he had silently slipped out of bed for his meeting with Lucy.

"… And then I ran into Kayla and she told me you weren't there with them at the dinner either."

"Dinner?" he questioned, glancing out the window. "Is it night already?"

Sure enough, the sky was dark.

"I came here to work," he told her. "I must have fallen asleep."

"I thought so."

"I'm sorry for worrying you," Chad said apologetically, taking both of her delicate hands in his own, "Why don't you let me clean up and then we can go back to our room so I can lie down and rest and we can ask a maid to bring us up something to eat?"

There was an awkward silence. Chad glanced at his wife, only to find her eyes fixed on the ground and a blush in her cheeks.

He stood up. "What is on your mind, Anna?"

"Nothing, milord," she told him.

"Why don't you call me by my name?" he asked as he pushed the parchments and inkpots away, clearing the desk before him.

She shrugged. "I don't know… respect, perhaps."

"I don't think that you'll disrespect your husband if you call him by his name." He said, standing up and helping her sit on the desk. "I'd like it better if you called me Chad more often instead of 'milord'."

The effect was immediate: her cheeks were on fire.

And he laughed. "You resemble a tomato at the minute."

"Stop it!" Alianna mumbled, clearly embarrassed.

"I don't think I will," he said, "What were you thinking?"

"You don't want to know," She mumbled.

"I do," he told her.

And for a second he saw her fighting a battle in her mind. So many emotions swirled in those eyes. But he could never have guessed what she was about to say.

_Never_.

"I love you."

Chad froze, every nerve in his body ceased to function. "...What?"

"N-Nothing."

"What did you say?"

She bit her lip. "I… I love you, C-Chad."

"Alianna –"

She shook her head. "You don't have to say anything. I know you don't feel the same about me, and it's alright. I understand."

He looked at her silently.

"I don't even know why I said it," she sighed, "But it's the truth. I love you."

"Anna," he spoke slowly, taking her face in his hands. He could tell that she was waiting for him to speak. The only problem was that he didn't know what to say. "I… like you a lot, Anna, and I care about you. I couldn't have asked for a better wife," he paused, "One day, I will come to you and tell you that I love you, I can promise you that. But –"

Her delicate hand cupped his cheek. "Then I shall wait for that day."

"Good." He quickly placed a kiss on her lips and just like the last time, she froze, clearly baffled. For some reason, he found it endearing.

He pulled away and looked at her. Her eyes were fixed on her lap.

"Alianna," he murmured, his voice soft, as he took hold of her face, "Look at me."

She did.

"Are you alright?" He asked softly, not wanting to scare her.

"I'm alright, I -"

"You what?" he asked as he winked at her, "Is there another confession you'd like to make?"

She bit her lip. "I think you should get something to eat. You haven't eaten since lunch, and you missed dinner. Would you like me to have some food warmed for you?" she asked, sounding like she was in a rush.

"That would be nice," he replied. "Can you ask them to bring the food up to our room?"

"Of course milord."

"You will eat with me, right?" he asked.

"Of course, I'll go see if anyone in the kitchen can bring us something to eat," she said, bowing her head in a slight farewell as she hurried out of the room.

He gave a dry chuckle and shook his head in amusement. He had only been teasing her, but considering her reaction, he wondered if there in fact _was _something his wife wasn't telling him.

He shook his head to rid himself of the silly thought as he gathered the papers he needed and left his office, headed back to his room.

**[][][][][][][][][]**

After eating, Chad and Alianna placed their dishes on the table before moving to sit on the bed. Alianna leaded against the headboard as she opened her book and Chad was sitting next to her, looking over his papers one last time, before he deemed them perfected and laid them on the bedside table beside him.

Chad turned to look at his wife as she read her book, obviously deeply absorbed in it as she read it enthusiastically. He smiled as he looked at her. The way the firelight hit her face and face, made her seem to almost glow. He waited until he saw her turn the page, before he leaned over and gave her a light kiss on her cheek.

She looked at him quizically, and Chad smiled. She was less jumpy when he kissed her this time, showing that she was growing more comfortable with him.

"What was that for?" she asked curiously.

"You looked so beautiful in the firelight, and I just wanted you to know that I _do_ care a lot about you, I just need a bit more time."

"It's alright milord-"

"Chad," he interrupted, correcting her.

"-Chad," she amended after a moment, still trying to get used to calling him by his name instead of title.

He smiled brightly at her, clearly happy that she said his name.

"I was wondering if you would like to take a walk with me in the gardens tommorow?" Chad asked a moment later. "I haven't been outside in ages and could really use the fresh air. Besides, I'd love to see those glory lilies you keep going on and on about," he smiled.

"If you want me to."

"What is that supposed to mean?" he asked.

"Nothing," she averted his gaze and stared at the floor.

"You act so strange at times," he smiled at her.

"I have a habit of doing that."

"It intrigues me," he said, his hand moving up and down her back, "Into wondering if you're hiding something from me."

She stiffened. "Does it?"

"Are you?"

She was quiet for a while. And then his lips were on hers again, slow and sensuous. He deepened the kiss, losing himself in her, his hands slowly moving down her body, feeling her curves. He pulled away so she could breathe, his lips moving to her jawline and down her throat.

"Chad," she whispered, her voice was shaky.

"Hmm?"

"I want to talk to you." She seemed hesitant.

"What is it?" he asked, pulling away slightly.

She opened her mouth and closed it. He could see that she was torn.

"Anna?"

"… You'll be with me, right?" she asked in a low voice. "If things ever go wrong."

"Of course," he confirmed, slightly confused. "I'll always support you."

She buried her face in the crook of his neck, a small smile on her face as her arms wrapped around her torso. "Thank you, Chad," was all she was able to say as she buried her hands in his hair.

He couldn't help but smile against her skin when he heard her say his name as he placed feather light kisses on her neck. It sounded good, even though her voice was shaky and weak.

His hands moved to the zipper of her dress and he unzipped it, pulling away so he could help her get out of it. His eyes roamed over her figure, which was much more prominent now that she was only wearing her chemise. And he noticed, with great amusement, how a blush covered her cheeks, and grew all the way down to her neck.

Flinging his tunic over his head as quickly as he could, Chad pulled her face to his and kissed her again, this time more urgently. His hands found the strings holding her chemise in place and he started untying them.

"Chad." She whispered once again when he pulled away to bury his face in her beautiful golden locks.

He felt Alianna's hands move up his chest and wrap them around his shoulders as she pulled herself closer to him. A moment later, he felt her lips on his collar bone. He took in a sharp breath. His skin tingled where she kissed him, her lips soft.

Heart thudding in his chest, Chad pushed her back and hovered above her, his lips attacking hers with more and more passion.

It didn't take long before their remaining clothes were scattered all over the floor of their bedroom, but at that moment, neither of them could care less about it.

* * *

><p><strong>There. End of the chapter.<strong>

**It was mainly about Chad/Alianna. But in the next chapter, you'll find out whats going on at Cair.**

**We'll try to update it as soon as possible. It won't take months, that we can promise, but it probably won't be up next week as we still have the damn time-difference problems... but like I said, we'll post it ASAP.**

**Sorry once again for the delay in this update and we hope you liked this chapter.**

**Until next time! :)**

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